Support Anteater Formula Racing (AFR) as we prepare for our next competition! Join us in raising $10,000 for parts, tools, experience and materials to build our cutting-edge 2026-27 Formula SAE race car. Propel us closer to victory on the international collegiate race track!

Anteater Formula Racing Team

Our Mission

Our mission is to empower engineering students with real-world experience, equipping them with professional skills and practices essential for success in their future careers. Through hands-on involvement in designing, building and optimizing Formula SAE race cars, students gain valuable insight in all types of engineering processes. Here at AFR we are making sure that our engineers are learning the skills to tackle challenges they will face in industry, refine their problem-solving abilities and hone their technical expertise beyond UC Irvine!

Anteater Formula Racing is building an open-wheel, internal-combustion race car inspired by Formula 1 and IndyCar racing to compete at Formula SAE Michigan in May 2027. Our team of over 60 dedicated engineering students participate in the design, manufacturing and testing of our race car to gain engineering skills needed for an industry that is highly technical, fast-paced and competitive. The team collectively spends 10,000+ hours each year developing our vehicle and various subsystems, alongside competitive engineering coursework. Anteater Formula Racing’s best finish in an FSAE competition is 19th at Formula SAE Lincoln, Nebraska!

Formula SAE Michigan 2027 is an SAE Collegiate Design Series event that will feature student teams representing 75 universities across the world. FSAE competitions are overseen by a dedicated group of industry leaders and involve technical and safety inspections to ensure rules compliance for every system, presentation our team to display our designs with industry professions and dynamic events in which our team will race our car for direct comparison is several performance categories: Acceleration, Skid Pad, Autocross, Endurance and Efficiency.

2025-26 Banshee at FSAE Michigan 2026

 

Why Your Support Matters

In Anteater Formula Racing our engineering students are gaining invaluable life skills and career experiences across a diverse spread of industry, from automotive to aerospace, software and business. Through Formula SAE, our members develop hands-on training, communication, management and design-to-reality opportunities – crucial elements highly sought after by their future employers. Recognized as essential by industry experts, Formula SAE participation enhances any engineer’s resume.

In order to move our project forward, we will allocate funds to these main areas:

Vehicle Manufacturing & Purchase Orders: Purchase of raw materials and custom hardware, including carbon fiber resin for aerodynamic layups, steel chassis tubing, welding supplies, laser-cut brake rotors, specialized suspension assemblies, high-performance tires and outsourced precision machining.

Competition & Logistics Expenses: Official Formula SAE Michigan 2027 registration fees, long-haul vehicle transportation and travel/lodging accommodations for key student team members to compete in Michigan.

Track Testing & Operations: Fuel during on-track dynamic testing, professional engine tuning, telemetry/sensor validation and track rental fees to ensure maximum reliability and speed before competition.



          2025-26 Master CAD rendering of Banshee (our previous car)


Discover more about Anteater Formula Racing’s Sub teams and their impactful roles in shaping tomorrow’s engineering leaders: 
 
Aerodynamics: Responsible for designing and optimizing the front and rear wings, bodywork and diffuser to streamline airflow, minimize drag and maximize downforce. Leveraging advanced fluid mechanics principles, the team conducts comprehensive computer flow simulations, wind tunnel tests and on-track trials to validate and refine their designs. Their expertise and precision engineering make our race car perform at its peak, ensuring it handles like it's flying on the track.

Chassis: Responsible for designing and constructing the vehicle's frame, primarily using steel tubing. This frame must be robust enough to support the suspension forces, protect the driver in case of an impact and serve as the structural foundation for all other vehicle subsystems, including the powertrain, electronics and aerodynamics components.

Electronics: Designs, manufactures and verifies the performance of onboard electronics, including the electronic dashboard, electronic throttle body and various sensors crucial for assessing our car's performance. The team also develops wiring harnesses that connect onboard data systems, such as engine management, to MoTeC digital displays. By gathering and analyzing data from numerous sensors, they ensure efficient performance monitoring and provide valuable insights for future improvements.

Human Interface: Designs, manufactures and verifies the performance of the driver cockpit and all its instruments, including pedals, steering, gear shifting, brakes and safety devices. They prioritize improving driver comfort and safety while optimizing vehicle performance. The team uses CAE software for precision engineering, ensuring components like brakes, shifters, steering wheels and seat belts are designed for maximum efficiency and swift response. Their work ensures that every aspect of the cockpit enhances both the driver's comfort and the car's overall performance.

Suspension: Designs the suspension so the tires maintain contact with the ground while maximizing the overall grip and making sure the car is quick and easy to drive. Responsible for parts of vehicle dynamics, suspension kinematics, design of the wheel assemblies (hubs, uprights, wheels), control arms, shocks and anti-roll bars. They are the joints that let our race car run!

Powertrain: Oversees the engine and all the external systems required to keep it alive. Designs and manufactures assemblies such as the exhaust system, cooling system, driveline components and is responsible for the tune the engine runs on. Our goal is to make as much power as possible, as efficiently as possible without sacrificing reliability and keeping the design maintenance friendly.

Vehicle Dynamics: Co-designs the team's first lap simulator within MATLAB, playing a crucial role in validating and refining the design of our current and future cars. The team develops custom simulators and utilizes professional-grade software for lap time simulations, analyzing results to accurately predict performance and validate design decisions. Their work is essential for optimizing the car's performance and achieving maximum points in Formula SAE Dynamic Events.

We invite you to join us on our journey as we take UC Irvine Anteater Formula Racing to Formula SAE Michigan in May 2027!

Thank you for all your support!

Connect With Us

Check out our website, follow our progress on Instagram and LinkedIn or contact us directly by emailing our Assistant Project Manager at halawir@uci.edu.