The 2010 Formula Society of Automotive Engineers Australasia competition

included 27 teams that designed, constructed and raced single-seat, open-wheeler cars.

Teams were from Australia, New Zealand, India, the US and Japan. First held in 1980, the event has been widely recognised by local and international car manufacturers as a breeding ground for engineers.

Representatives of major companies including Ford, Holden, Toyota and Mitsubishi attended the four-day event.

The team from Melbourne's Swinburne University won the autocross category, in which drivers had four attempts to negotiate various obstacles on the track and set a competitive time.

It was the runner-up in the endurance category, where two drivers were asked to complete 16 laps each.

One of the team's eight members was Wyndham Vale resident and mechanical engineering student John Paul Amparis.

"To build a car from scratch and to race it gives you huge sense of achievement," he said.

"We were one of the smallest teams with one of the lowest budgets and we punched well above our weight."

Cars were judged on cost, performance, suspension and brakes, cockpit, engine and exhaust, and overall innovation and design.

The scenario put to teams was to develop a car aimed at the amateur autocross driver market, which could be manufactured on a small-scale production line at a cost of less than US$25,000.

Students managed the complete project including scheduling, budgeting, fund-raising and cost control, design, manufacturing and testing.

Entrants were assessed on racing ability, which included acceleration and a 13-kilometre endurance race.

Points were tallied from all disciplines to determine the winner, which was Monash University.