Chico State automotive club builds race car from scratch
By Nathan Espindula
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CHICO, California (KHSL) — Chico State students have finished building a race car that took two years, more than 10,000 hours, and the combined effort of over 50 students to complete.
The car was built by the Chico State Formula SAE Club — short for the Society of Automotive Engineers — and nearly every component was made from scratch, except for the engine, battery, and a few minor parts.
Last Friday, students tested the car for the first time. “It was amazing,” said Adam Quinones, who works on marketing for the club. “It’s been a work in progress for over two years. I couldn’t be happier.”
Club president Evan Cole said the project took “blood, sweat and tears” and called it “a really awesome sight to see it going.”
The car features a motocross bike engine and can reach speeds of up to 60 miles per hour. Its design was inspired by McLaren Formula cars — specifically the MP4 model from the 1980s. The build cost a little over $35,000.
This weekend, the club will take the car to the NorCal Shootout at Thunderhill Raceway in Willows. The event, hosted by the Sacramento State Formula SAE team, will include schools from across the West Coast, including but not limited top UCLA, UC Berkeley, and one team from Canada.
“The whole point of the club is to build and race,” Adam Quinones said. “To see it actually out there performing is going to be amazing.”
The NorCal Shootout is meant to test the car’s performance and help teams see what works, what doesn’t, and how others approach their designs.
Chico State’s Formula SAE Club will also compete this May at the international Formula SAE Michigan competition, which features more than 120 teams from around the world. Around 20 Chico State students are expected to attend.
In previous years, the university has earned first place in cost efficiency at the Michigan event.
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