The smell of pizza and the sight of race cars decorated the lawn in front of Marston Hall Friday as the ISU Society of Automotive Engineering, part of an international society that designs, builds and races cars, held its membership drive.

The drive was to give ISU students the opportunity to learn about the society and what it can offer and attract the attention of potential sponsors, said Matt Kennedy, who heads up the formula team.

Students of any major can join the group.

The Society of Automotive Engineering has two subdivisions – the formula team and the baja team.

The formula team creates a racecar to compete in an international competition against about 120 teams held annually in Pontiac, Mich.

Last year, Iowa State finished 39th, said Kennedy, senior in mechanical engineering.

Its car is basically a go-cart with an 80-horsepower engine, he said, which can go from zero to 60 miles per hour in three and a half seconds.

But Kennedy said he has no idea how fast the formula car can actually go.

“We really don’t know,” he said.

“No one actually has the guts to try it.”

On weekends, the formula team races and tests the cars in the parking lot between Jack Trice Stadium and Hilton Coliseum, Kennedy said.

The other division of the Society of Automotive Engineering is the Baja team. Vice President of the Society of Automotive Engineering, Greg Simon, is one of the heads of the team.

He said they work year round to design and build a mini-baja race car that can go up to about 27 miles per hour.

Unlike the formula car, it is not known for its speed, but rather for jumping ramps and tearing through mud-and-dirt-filled courses, said Simon, senior in mechanical engineering.

The Baja team competes in either Tip City, Ohio or outside Milwaukee, Wis.

Last year, there were 126 other teams, but only 93 got to race because the cars did not meet safety requirements. Of those that made it, only 32 completed the race. Iowa State placed 21st, he said.

Out of every team that showed up last year, Iowa State is the only team that has a hydrostatic transmission, a system based on hydraulics. Simon said it tends to set them apart from the competition.

Active participation in groups such as the Society of Automotive Engineering gives students advantages in the job search, he said.

“I was able to land a job with Ford Motor Company based on the fact that I am an active member in SAE,” Simon said.

Kennedy said employers like the club members because they have been able to use what knowledge they’ve gained.

“I think there’s nothing at Iowa State that can provide a better education,” he said.

“It provides a practical way to apply knowledge learned in the classroom, leadership and interpersonal skills that any engineer would not typically learn in the classroom.”

Interested students can write to [email protected] or check out a meeting. Formula Team meets at 8 p.m. Wednesdays in 1028 Black Engineering and mini baja team meets 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays in 1071 Black Engineering.