Shoman brothers win Red Bull 'Can' Racing finale

Hossam and Maged Shoman from American University of Sharjah (AUS) won the Red Bull Racing finale, a unique contest that combines technology, engineering, creativity and competition for motoring enthusiasts of all levels using the Red Bull can itself as an ultimate design element.

Sixteen teams from four local universities designed and built model cars from Red Bull cans taking part in the miniature race at the Yasalam entertainment district on the Abu Dhabi Corniche.

To ensure fair play, the chassis – or framework - of each car was identical, with students focusing instead on aerodynamic features and creative design.

In front of 800 spectators, the Shoman brothers were unbeatable as they made their way to the finish grid by eliminating rivals through three rounds with their impeccable driving skills and unique car design.

Following a spectacular win, Hossam Shoman was looking forward to competing at the World Finals set to take place, later in November, at Milton Keynes, UK, headquarters of the Red Bull Racing Formula 1 team.

“Winning was our top priority and we invested a lot of time and energy to build a racecar that combined our love for speed with our appreciation of the Art,” the 19-year-old Electrical Engineering student said.

On the set course, the cans-turned-cars lined up Grand Prix style, with pole positions already determined from qualifier rounds. Spectators and team members gathered around the mini track, trying to catch a glimpse of the speeding cars around curves and through obstacles. As in professional Formula 1 races, each second counted as the remote controlled cars attempted to overtake each other on the track in a highly competitive battle of speed and skill.

“As entertaining and exciting as it was to compete in the Red Bull Racing Can, the greatest aspect of this competition was being able to take the skills that we learned at university and apply it to the real world. It’s a huge motivation for students who love to use textbook knowledge on the race track,” said the younger of the two brothers, Maged, who is studying Mechanical Engineering at AUS, and who was actually remote operating the car during the race, leading it to a first place win.

In the Red Bull Racing Can competition, crossing the finish line first is not the only deciding factor in determining the winner. The three judges awarded points based on three criteria: Mark Lewis, Creative Director of LOWE MENA, judged on Creativity; Simon Withers (MINI) judged on Design; and Henri Hazougi, a remote controlled cars expert, judged on Assembly. The racing portion of the event accounts for 60 points while the remaining points are for creativity and design.

Sponsored by Geox and MINI, Red Bull Racing Can, that started earlier in October, attracted hundreds of students from the American University of Sharjah (AUS), American University of Science and Technology (AUST), Academic City (AC) and Abu Dhabi Men’s College (ADMC), all vying for the chance to design the coolest and quickest car on the track.

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