As a new season approaches, three Bearcats Racing teams are hitting the gas on their race car designs - and they're using the University of Cincinnati's 1819 Innovation Hub in the process.
With an impressive "track" record across previous seasons, there's little doubt that Bearcats Racing will once again win plaudits and prizes in 2025 - potentially as soon as April 12 as the teams exhibit this season's race cars at 1819:
- 9 to 10 a.m.: Bearcats Baja (off-road vehicle)
- 10:15 to 11:15 a.m.: Bearcats EV (electric vehicle)
- 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: Bearcats Motorsports (formula-style race car)
Each team will showcase its vehicle at 1819 - fittingly so since many car parts were built using the 1819 Ground Floor Makerspace's resources and cutting-edge tools. These included CNC routers, waterjet cutters, 3D printers and welding booths. Bearcats Baja fabricated between 20 and 40 parts for this season's car at 1819, while Bearcats EV estimates manufacturing more than 42 components. Teams received design insights and help during the build from makerspace staff, allowing Bearcats Racing to fast-track its creations.
Now that all three automobiles are ready to roll, Bearcats Racing is shifting focus to on-track testing at places like UC Clermont College and choosing its race car drivers. The selection process for daredevil racecar drivers is competitive, mostly based on speed and dedication throughout the build. To learn what fuels each Bearcats Racing team and to discover what lies ahead, UC News caught up with the directors for all three racing programs.
Bearcats Motorsports race car on the track. Photo/Bearcats Motorsports
- 2025 season goals: Design validation, process documentation, vehicle quality
- Top race: Formula SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) Michigan (May 14-17)
According to Nathan Brown, technical director of Bearcats Motorsports, the team "fully designs, builds, tests, tunes and competes with a formula-style, open-wheel race car each year." Bearcats Motorsports has a storied history dating back to 1981 when UC became one of the first four teams to compete in the inaugural Formula SAE racing competition.
Bearcats Motorsports isn't just historic; it's tremendously successful. Recent triumphs secured impressive finishes, placing 13th in 2023 and 21st in 2024 out of 120 teams. While having fun and pursuing victories on the track are central to its identity, the team is driven by loftier goals and ambitions beyond the racetrack.
"In addition to developing the next generation of engineers," Brown says, "we focus on providing business and design students an opportunity to expand their skills through various roles such as business management, accounting, marketing, design and much more."
Bearcats Motorsports team members are laser-focused on crafting a world-class race car as the spring semester picks up speed. Upcoming priorities include finishing the build, performing wind tunnel testing, taking the vehicle out on the track and fine-tuning it for peak performance.
The Ground Floor Makerspace at UC's 1819 Innovation Hub plays a key role in getting the team ready to race. "Our team uses a lot of resources at 1819," Brown says, listing a host of tools that include tube-bending and welding equipment, large printing machines and powder coating tools.
"The 1819 Innovation Hub is an extremely valuable partnership that we are fortunate to have," Brown says. "Our team has not only learned a lot of skills from the 1819 team, but we have applied these skills, which directly impact the performance of the car."
Brown and the motorsports team are hopeful that these performance upgrades lead to another victorious season at the Formula SAE Michigan race in mid-May. If so, the team will continue a legacy of excellence established decades ago and sustained into the present.
Bearcats Baja vehicle in flight. Photo/Bearcats Baja
- 2025 season goals: Boosting top speed, drivetrain improvements, custom gearbox
- Top race: Baja SAE Maryland (June 12-15)
Bearcats Baja boasts a long history as one of the 10 inaugural teams founded when its competition began in 1976. The team aims to outline and build a raceworthy off-road vehicle and to equip UC undergraduates with engineering and design skills.
Baja zoomed to the middle of the pack in last year's race, an impressive feat considering that the team nearly went extinct during the COVID-19 pandemic. Members have returned to growth mode in 2025 and are racing to shift from building their race car to testing it as spring arrives.
"Testing starts as soon as possible and continues for the next two months," says Brian Schutte, technical director of Bearcats Baja. "From there, each subteam (drivetrain, frame, and suspension and steering) will revisit initial goals and determine if they need to redesign and remanufacture components."
As Bearcats Baja speeds toward race day, it's prioritizing quality assurance to help it build a car capable of elite performance. Much of that comes from testing - and retooling - parts over and over until something meets the group's high standards.
Upskilling plays a prominent role in Bearcats Baja's ability to produce a high-quality product. "We have more than tripled our team members who have 1819 [makerspace] certifications this year," Schutte says. "Having access to the makerspace diversifies our manufacturing capabilities, helping us to be more efficient and save time."
Bearcats Baja set ambitious goals to boost its vehicle's racing speed and redesign car parts such as the gearbox. Now, the team is putting its foot on the gas as it prepares for an off-road adventure at the Baja SAE Maryland competition in June.
Bearcats EV team standing behind its race car. Photo/Bearcats EV
- 2025 season goals: Fast-track vehicle build, maximize testing time, gain driving experience
- Top race: Formula SAE Electric (June 17-21)
As the University of Cincinnati's formula electric racing team, Bearcats EV develops fast-paced vehicles on track to a sustainable future. By designing and manufacturing an electric race car, technical director Jonathan Steinke says the team "provides students with real-world design experience, preparing them for the future of the automotive and technology industries."
Bearcats EV was just founded in 2020 but has already participated in two Formula SAE Electric competitions. This year's race occurs in June, and the team plans to accelerate its build by modeling and manufacturing parts at the 1819 Ground Floor Makerspace.
"The 1819 Innovation Hub has been crucial to manufacturing our car this year," Steinke says. "Several critical components for our drivetrain and suspension are being machined at 1819 … our team plans to continue using 1819 throughout the semester."
Electric vehicles are far from simple productions, so Bearcats EV has plenty of steps to take before the Formula SAE Electric race in June. The team hopes to have a fully functional race car ready in April, providing room for months of testing and innovation.
Bearcats EV feels confident about its ability to complete an electric race car model soon. Steinke credits that to his team's ingenuity and to 1819's readily available makerspace tools, engineering training programs and space for design reviews.
"The 1819 Innovation Hub is one of the most valuable resources our team has," Steinke says. "Without the 1819 Innovation Hub, our team would be weeks behind schedule and thousands of dollars over budget."
Featured image at top: Bearcats Motorsports racing at FSAE Michigan 2024. Photo/Bearcats Motorsports
