Supra as you will find from any mechanical or automobile engineer from India, is quite the deal. Graduating out of school from quite a small, closely knit community in an often forgotten part of Chennai, I was very happy to have enrolled myself in a good college for a course I’ve always dreamt of studying, Mechanical Engineering. Yes, I picked engineering. Just like everyone else. But what the hell, I did it out of passion and love for the subject as opposed to quite a handful of people who have false hopes of amazing jobs and wives. I thought I’d be having an amazing time in college, like the long, romantic college stories we see in pictures. Well, I was wrong. My college was apparently one of the not too taxing, not too much fun either types. Stringent rules, a dress code I never understood, burdensome schedules and a lot of social awkwardness. I wasn’t always the practical type; I was more of an academic. I read something, I understood, I was satisfied. I wasn’t the kind of person that would want to you know, rip apart, for example, a motor the second I read about it. I used to be satisfied in the knowledge that I would be able to understand the ins and outs of a motor, in this case. I’ve never expected anything more. This went on for three years. I had good grades, an amazing company of friends, batchmates, and people. Somewhere somehow, something was always missing.
Then SAE came along. Society of Automotive Engineers. It’s an internationally recognized organization, most famous for its automotive events conducted for students across the world. SAE Supra, SAE Baja were essentially the two events that my department in college was crazy about. Supra being the event that required students to make formula one type cars, with rules, of course, and Baja being an event that required students to make an ATV (All-Terrain Vehicle). Being a huge fan of Formula One and Scuderia Ferrari and Vettel and the likes, the first thing I did was become a part of my college’s Supra team, Hawkz Racing. To this day, I do not understand, or even despise to a point, the inappropriate replacement of the ‘s’ with a ‘z’, but as it would turn out, I really did grow into the name. With good support from the college, a very helpful faculty advisor, an amazing design engineer, an involved captain, an exemplary technical team, tremendous management personnel and a beautiful family of 28, we managed to finally make a car. Correction, a magnificent beast (You’ll agree I’m not exaggerating when you see the pictures). Being the sick, lazy kid that I was, my contribution to the team wasn’t noteworthy at all, but I did my part, when I could. Sometimes, I cried to myself, looking at the kind of effort my friends were putting in towards achieving targets, efforts I wish I could have put in. Anyway, bottom-line, despite the numerous disadvantages and setbacks that we were put through, we pushed hard, gave into our passion for cars and presented to the world, a true beauty. Quintessence, we called it. But we were in for another surprise. The event which usually takes place in Chennai was now, in all its resplendence, to happen in Buddh International circuit, Noida Gr., UP. Imagine it, a collegiate event, Supra, in an international circuit. And by god, was it splendid!
I mean, if visiting the Buddh International circuit wasn’t awe-inspiring enough, we were to actually participate in Supra, as one among 170 other teams, all vying for top spots. Sure, we didn’t win many awards, but getting to be there after making a car of our own, the entire experience was the unrealistically real prize. The mechanical engineers of Hawkz Racing had the time of their lives through the duration of the event. Victories, losses, surprises, disappointments and the lot, but the one thing that really elates us is the fact that each of us found 27 brothers in each other, waiting to do anything towards achieving the dream that was Hawkz Racing ’16. “You don’t have to be part of a team making something, but please come see me for at least ten minutes each day. Because you’re all family” was what the most essential cog in the team said. And brother, you have my word. Happen it shall.
Putting health and family below in the pecking order, making the car and the event our top priorities, we sure did leave a mark on the hundreds of teams, judges and people that were present at the event. We didn’t receive accolades, but we signed off from Supra 2k16 and Buddh with pride, overwhelmed with the recognition and respect that Hawkz Racing gained. To be ranked 39th among 172 others is a great achievement for a team that in all its glory is in fact, a bunch of engineering aspirants who prior to this had no idea how to function as a team, let alone work together to make a car. It’s a learning curve. Now you know us, next year you’ll celebrate us. And this, my people, is how I gradually grew to love the inappropriate ‘z’ in our name. I also learned one very important life lesson. When everything seems bleak and out of order, don’t hesitate to look behind you and appreciate the people that have your back. It’s essential to always keep your head up in times of peril, but never forget to look back and cherish the people who are with you in it, experiencing the same thing that you are. I still don’t know if I’m technical enough, but I sure know how to make a car and take it to the grandest of stages, and not fail.
