How do you develop a resume or body of work to get a job in the automotive industry? One way is to engineer an operating car from CAD screen to pavement, which is what the https://www.bullsracing.com/does.
“Bulls Racing is great for anyone interested in learning how a race team works and what goes into designing and building a race car,” said Connor Capar, marketing director for Bulls Racing. “Anyone from any major is welcome to join our team as long as they have a willingness to work hard and learn a lot.”
Bulls Racing participates in the Formula SAE annual competition at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan. It attracts teams worldwide who take up the challenge to design and build an open-wheel, single-seat car. Teams must work together to design, build, and test their cars, and they must also be able to manage their time and resources effectively.
Automotive performance is measured in dynamic events that evaluate how well a car accelerates and handles on the track, but the competition is not just about gears and gas. Static events assess teams and their cars through presentations and reports on topics like a car’s design and cost. The Bulls Racing team’s presentations were a highlight of the competition.
“Our biggest accomplishment was placing third overall in the business presentation event, the highest the team has ever achieved in the business presentation event at FSAE Michigan,” said Capar, who is a marketing major at USF.
In a post-event interview, Bulls Racing president and recent USF College of Engineering graduate John Montgomery elaborated on the off-track event.
“I really liked our presentation itself. We came prepared with everything we needed. I will say that the questions they asked were tough,” said Montgomery, who recently received his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering.
Besides the third-place finish in the business presentation, Bulls Racing placed within the top 10 teams for acceleration and overall finished in 25th place in the field of 120 teams. The team’s chief engineer, mechanical engineering student Omar Ads, praised the crew’s efforts at FSAE. “I couldn’t be more proud of the team. They all did amazing. We all learned a lot together as a team.”
FSAE also allows students to network with professionals in the automotive industry. Many teams have alumni who have gone on to work for major automotive companies, and the competition provides a valuable opportunity for students to learn about the industry and make connections.
For students interested in Bulls Racing, the team holds regular shop days to work on projects most Saturdays, especially during the fall and spring semesters, at the USF engineering research building at 13317 USF Plum Drive. More information can be found at bullsracing.com, the team’s Bulls Racing Facebook page, and the @bullsracing Instagram account.