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Printer-Friendly ModeTime with race team beneficial to former member
October 31, 2005 —
George Coppens was the low man on the totem pole when he joined the Cardinal Formula Racing Team (CFR) his freshman year almost a decade ago. Today, Coppens has a master's degree from Michigan State, is a project engineer at Brinn Incorporated in Bay City, and can thank CFR for helping him get there.
Coppens, 25, enrolled at SVSU in 1998 as a mechanical engineering major. After spending a year on the team cleaning shop and making small repairs to the previous year's car, the Marysville native was hooked.
"I became very interested in motor sports through my involvement with CFR," Coppens says. "I realized that this was the career path that I wanted to follow."
And follow he did.
Coppens spent the next two years working on the cars' suspensions and was the chief engineer when the team had its best finish in history - sixth in the world - during his senior year in 2002.
But despite all that he accomplished during his final year on the team, it was his junior year that particularly helped get him to where he is today. That is when his future employer, Herb Brinn, became a CFR sponsor.
"I met him many times to discuss design issues and vehicle dynamics during my third and fourth years on the team," Coppens says.
CFR faculty advisor Brooks Byam says he isn't surprised Coppens found success and attributes it to Coppens' work ethic.
"George and I used to spend hours and hours discussing vehicle dynamics and how to make the race car go faster," he says. "It drove my wife crazy."
Byam went on to tell the story of one long day - or days - Coppens had working on the car in 2002.
"George did not leave Pioneer Hall for approximately 50 hours," Byam says. "He worked two days straight without taking a break. I knew George was destined for great things."
And great things are exactly what Byam expects from most CFR team members both during and after their time at SVSU.
"CFR is the ultimate resume builder and job hunting tool," he says. "Having Formula SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) on your resume brings instant credibility. Almost every employer around the world knows of Formula SAE. It's the training ground for the best of the best."
As for Coppens, he says he learned many real world experiences through CFR and urges any interested student to join the team.
"Get involved with CFR as soon as possible," he says. "You will not regret it."