Bearcats Racing
The Umbrella Organization for the University of Cincinnati's SAE Organizations
Bearcats Racing serves as the shared identity for the University of Cincinnati’s student SAE teams in automobile racing. It connects UC Formula SAE Internal Combustion, UC Formula SAE Electric, and UC Baja as independent programs that are linked through competition, collaboration, and a common passion for engineering and racing.
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Although each team designs, builds, and competes with its own vehicle and rule set, competing within the same collegiate motorsports environment has created natural opportunities for connection. Through shared experiences at events, technical discussions, and day-to-day problem solving, students across teams gain exposure to different design approaches, manufacturing methods, and project management styles. At the end of the day, as a University we can take 3 different approaches each year and learn which process worked the best. We are one of the under 10 Universities in the world with this capability.
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This structure allows each program to maintain its own identity while benefiting from a broader student motorsports community. Knowledge sharing, mentorship, and mutual support strengthen all three teams without merging their competitive paths.
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Bearcats Racing reflects the idea that while the cars, rules, and competitions may differ, the learning, dedication, and collaboration behind them are shared.
Bearcats Motorsports
The Original FSAE Organization at the University of Cincinnati
As part of Bearcats Racing, Bearcats Motorsports benefits from close connections with UC Formula SAE Electric and UC Baja. Those relationships are shaped through competition and shared experience rather than formal structure, allowing students to learn from parallel challenges while maintaining focus on their own technical goals.
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Through this environment, Bearcats Motorsports contributes to a broader culture of collaboration within UC’s student racing community while continuing to pursue excellence within Formula SAE Internal Combustion competition.
Bearcats Baja
The Only Baja Organization at the University of Cincinnati
Bearcats Motorsports assisted during a period when the team was rebuilding after several years without producing a new vehicle. By sharing proven design and project management processes, the team helped establish a clearer path toward successful vehicle development. Members also worked closely with Baja students to pass along lessons learned in frame design and lightweight manufacturing, helping the team restart its build cycle with a stronger technical foundation.
Bearcats Electric Racing
The First Electrical FSAE Organization at the University of Cincinnati
Support for Bearcats Electric Racing was developed through close collaboration over several seasons with Bearcats Motorsports. For approximately three years, Bearcats Motorsports shared facilities, tools, and design knowledge, allowing the Electric team to accelerate its early development and establish reliable workflows. This access played a role in helping the team progress through the initial challenges of launching a new program.
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Following the 2025 season, the teams transitioned to a more formal separation as the Bearcats Electric Racing team reached key milestones, including passing their first technical inspection. With systems in place and experience gained, the team was well-positioned to operate independently while maintaining strong relationships within Bearcats Racing.
Connections Through Competition
Each university brings a unique perspective to collegiate motorsports, shaped by its academic strengths, team culture, and approach to engineering. While every program competes independently, there is a shared understanding across teams that progress in this space is driven by learning from one another.
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The following programs represent schools our team has connected with through competition and shared experience. Each contributes in its own way to the larger collegiate motorsports ecosystem. Each team in this group comes from a University that is associated with the Big 12, but none of our teams are directly affiliated with the Big 12.
Bearcats Motorsports has benefited from remaining in constant communication. We recently secured a great deal on some affordable rims that another team was moving away from, but since we build a completely new car each year, we needed these. While we still remain competitive against these other teams during the competition events, we can help each other in tough situations with missing parts or tools at the competition. This is a common culture in the FSAE paddock, but it is very helpful to have an established relationship before even pulling in. We have also learned many things about the University dynamics for these other teams, and how to handle and approach our University.