For the past two years, the mechanical engineering sophomore has been a part of the MSU Formula Racing Team. The team represents MSU’s entry into the Formula Society of Automotive Engineers International collegiate design series, an organization which challenges students to fund, design, manufacture and race small race cars.
The team’s yearly goal, which is creating a new race car every year, begins as a mere idea in the summer — around the same time they are racing the previous year’s project.
The fall and spring semesters are centered heavily around manufacturing the new car, as the cycle starts all over again.
As project manager, Riggs typically works on the business and team management of their year-long project. However, he also dabbles in the machining and designing areas of the project and has even given the car a spin during their testing days.
“I’m passionate about design in general,” Riggs said. “But I’m mostly passionate about being challenged.”
His interest in designing cars stems back to when he was in elementary school. His older brother was involved in his university’s formula racing team and Riggs was fascinated by it.
When he arrived at MSU and saw there was a team on campus, he signed up as soon as he could.
Now he devotes more hours to the team than a full-time job requires.
Once classes are over for the day, Riggs finds himself back at the team’s garage. By the time each week comes to an end, Riggs has spent 60-80 hours on the project.
On weekends, Riggs said he begins his day in the shop at 10 a.m. and can stay for the entire day.
Riggs and the team, made up of around 20 students, start with hundreds of pounds of steel, aluminum, magnesium and other metals. They cut the metal with one of two mills in their shop to make the molds for different parts of the car.
Even the smallest pieces of the car can take nearly five hours to manufacture.
The entire year is devoted to finishing up the one car.
“Especially with designing, you don’t get a solid grasp on what to do until you get practice,” Riggs said. “You have to integrate what you’re doing with everyone else for it to work out.”
Riggs’s passion for design will continue to stretch into the summer when he begins his internship with Chrysler. Once he returns to MSU, he said he plans to return to the team for their next project.
After spending most of his days working tirelessly with the team members, Riggs has come to see each member as a part of his family.
“The most rewarding part of this is just seeing the car run for the very first time,” Riggs said. “This is something we built from the ground up together. It’s amazing to see.”
