Mechanical issues sideline Wild Hare Racing

June 4, 2025

Mechanical issues sideline Wild Hare Racing

Members of Wild Hare Racing pose after competing at the Michigan International Speedway May 16-17. Pictured, front row, from left, are Jeremiah Jorenby, Carson Guggisberg and Riley Gill. Back row, Kaylee Caron, Chase Maher, Joesph DeBates, Andrew Bishop, Jackson Kramer, Kaden Macpherson, Jake Konechne, Keith Schenkel, Sean Turner, Tyler Post, Marko Minga and Nathaniel Crow.

SDSU sent a dozen students and a faculty adviser to the Formula SAE competition at Michigan International Speedway, but one thing they didn’t cart with them from the ��«Ӱҵ campus was a spare differential.

SDSU was one of 120 teams competing in the Society of Automotive Engineers contest, which challenges students to conceive, design, fabricate and race small formula-style racing cars.

Carson Guggisberg, an engineering technologies major and vice president of SDSU’s Formula team, reported, “We departed late on Monday, May 12, and returned early Sunday, May 18. After arriving on Tuesday night, we made some final adjustments to the car in preparation for the technical inspection, which took place all day Wednesday and Thursday morning.

“We passed all the inspections successfully. We also presented our design on Thursday and the judges responded positively.”

The team’s fortunes changed on Friday. The first event, in which the driver makes two laps clockwise and then counterclockwise, went well but the differential brackets were bent on the second event, the autocross, which is a tight, rigorous cone course that is roughly a kilometer long.

That prevented the team from completing most of the autocross and the entire acceleration event. 

“Our team sprang into action with the endurance race—Saturday’s final and most challenging event—on the line. Thanks to the help of a former Wild Hare Racing member who lives nearby and had the necessary tools, we could work late into Friday night to make the needed repairs.

“We reassembled the car on Saturday morning, just in time for the 13.7-mile endurance event. While our quick repair allowed us to start the race, the bracket failed again after five of the 10 laps, cutting our run short.,” Guggisberg reported.

Guggisberg, who was the chassis team lead, added, “Despite the setback, our team showed incredible determination, resourcefulness and teamwork. We are proud of our efforts and grateful for the opportunity to compete.”

He added, “Despite not competing in every event, the team placed higher than 35% of teams, and scored more points than the previous season, in which it competed in every event.”

This summer the team plans to attend several car shows and participate in some autocross events around southeastern South Dakota. Its schedule is still being finalized,.

Team members:

• Seniors Jake Konechne, president and electrical lead; Jacob Deschenes, suspension/controls co-lead; Guggisberg, vice President and chassis lead; Jeremiah Jorenby, drivetrain lead; and Alex Miller;

• Juniors Riley Gill, treasurer and suspension co-lead; Chase Maher, secretary and suspension co-lead; Keith Schenkel, Santosh Sivan Senthil Kumar and Ryan Downing; s

• Sophomores Kaylee Caron, controls co-lead; Andrew Bishop, aerodynamics co-lead; Joseph DeBates, aerodynamics co-lead), Mckenna DuFrene and John Bennet;

• Freshmen Kaden Macpherson, Jackson Kramer, Marko Minga, Nathaniel Crow, Andrew Sternhagen, Savanna Hickman, Tyler Post, Sean Turner, Parker Peterson and Joel Sudheimer.

Their faculty advisers are Douglas Peters, Robert Fourney and Jason Hasse.