Wednesday, Oct 16, 2024 • Brian Lopez : contact

Engines revving, rubber burning and cars zooming.

It’s pretty much all you could hear over the weekend at The University of Texas at Arlington, where about 40 student-built formula cars were showcased during the 23rd annual Texas Autocross Weekend. This year’s event was the biggest yet, with 400 people present.

“It’s an incredible feeling to come out here and watch what we’ve tirelessly worked on come to fruition,” said Mariam Mohamed, UTA Racing team captain and mechanical engineering junior. “Other than the cars, my favorite part of the autocross weekend is sharing our campus and facilities with teams from across the country.”

UTA welcomed Formula Society of Automotive Engineers (FSAE) teams and their cars from universities in Texas and across the country. UTA Racing, the University’s FSAE team, was founded in 1982 and is one of the most successful in FSAE series history, having won eight championships in the U.S. and three abroad.

Now in its 23rd year, the event is highly anticipated among FSAE teams, as it provides a venue to test their latest builds and even bring out cars built decades ago. UTA Racing's oldest car on the track was built in the ’90s.

Brad Kallam, a mechanical engineering senior, drove the car that UTA Racing built in 2022. He said driving a formula car that he helped build was intense but exciting.

“Building these cars isn’t easy, but it’s rewarding when you can drive it and test it against other cars,” Kallam said. “More importantly, UTA Racing gives you hands-on experience that employers love.”

Bob Woods, founder and head advisor of UTA Racing and holder of the Dr. Bob Woods Distinguished Chair in Automotive Engineering Endowed by Paul Andrews Jr., said the best part of the weekend is seeing his students showcase their growth.

“In many cases, students who join UTA Racing don’t know anything about building a formula car, but they learn, and this event is the outcome. It’s fun to be a part of that,” Dr. Woods said.

UTA Racing is a major reason why many students choose UTA to continue their education. Ovidio Cortez, a mechanical engineering freshman from Brownsville, Texas, is one of them. Cortez discovered that a UTA Racing alumnus became a Formula 1 engineer—his dream job.

Cortez is currently a volunteer with UTA Racing and hopes to become a full member soon.

“I came here to follow that path,” Cortez said. “I want to join the UTA Racing team and build a car. That’s what I’m going to do.”