Ohlone College's first-ever Formula SAE team. Renegades designing, fabricating, and racing a full open-wheel prototype car from scratch.
We are Ohlone College's inaugural Formula SAE program — a team of Renegades building something most community colleges never attempt.
Formula SAE is a global collegiate design competition organized by SAE International. Teams design, build, and race a small open-wheel race car from scratch, then present it to panels of professional engineers from automotive and aerospace firms including GM, Ford, Honda, and Lockheed Martin.
Being a community college team is not a disadvantage — it is our identity. Our students are working engineers in training, many the first in their families to pursue a technical degree. We bring focus, resourcefulness, and a chip on our shoulder.
We are competing in FSAE Michigan/Lincoln — the largest engineering design competition in the world — alongside 420+ teams from 52 countries. Ohlone Renegades belong on that grid.
Every subsystem is student-designed. There is no kit, no shortcut, and no precedent at this school. We are building the playbook as we go.
4130 chromoly steel space frame, TIG welded by students. Designed to FSAE roll-hoop and impact-attenuator rules. Every node calculated before it is cut.
Unequal-length double A-arms at all four corners. Custom machined uprights, Öhlins coilovers, and fully adjustable geometry for event-day tuning.
Honda CBR600F4i engine through a 20mm SAE restrictor. Custom intake plenum, standalone ECU, and a stainless exhaust routed for maximum ground clearance.
Wilwood Dynalite four-piston calipers at all corners, dual-circuit pedal box with adjustable brake bias, and stainless-braided AN lines throughout.
Single-element front and rear wings in fiberglass. Designed using CFD and tested against FSAE dimensional rules. Flat underbody floor for consistent ground effect.
AiM MXS dash with GPS lap timing and full sensor logging. Wheel speed at all four corners. Lap simulation in Python. ECU tuning via TunerStudio. Custom wiring harness built with Deutsch DT connectors. Every data-driven decision runs through this system.
Rules study, suspension geometry simulation, chassis design, engine selection, and procurement of long-lead items. SAE registration and faculty advisor onboarding.
Jig build, tube cutting, and TIG welding of the space frame. Simultaneous machining of suspension uprights, hubs, and pedal box fabrication.
Engine install, suspension assembly, brake system, wiring harness, fuel system, and first startup. All subsystems integrated and verified before rolling the car.
Shakedown, data-driven tuning, driver development, and reliability runs. Bodywork and aero fitted. Design report written. Competition tech checklist completed.
FSAE Michigan or Lincoln. Static events: design presentation, cost report, business plan. Dynamic events: skidpad, autocross, acceleration, and endurance.
Engineering, computer science, electrical, and business students from Ohlone College. Every person on this team builds, designs, and competes.
Your logo travels to FSAE competition, seen by recruiting managers from GM, Ford, Honda, Boeing, and over 100 engineering firms. Every dollar goes directly to the build.
All monetary contributions are processed through Ohlone College Foundation (501(c)(3) nonprofit status). Donations may be fully tax-deductible.
Whether you want to sponsor the build, join the team, or just learn more — we want to hear from you.
We have roles for every background — engineers, fabricators, machinists, welders, electronics techs, business students, and creatives. No prior FSAE experience is required. What we need is genuine interest, honest availability, and the willingness to do real work.
Core technical roles involve direct work on the car's critical systems and require a brief calibration conversation with the system lead plus a four-week trial period. Contributor roles are open to any currently enrolled Ohlone student — you show up, you're on the team.
All team members must be currently enrolled at Ohlone College (minimum one unit). Anyone working in the shop must complete Ohlone's shop safety orientation. Drivers must hold a valid license and pass a team driver evaluation.
Owns the overall program. Coordinates between all system leads, manages the master schedule, drives sponsor relationships, and makes final decisions when teams disagree. The team lead is the person who holds the whole picture at all times.
Designs and builds the backbone of the car. Owns the space frame from first sketch to final weld, including all structural analysis, fabrication drawings, and rules compliance for the primary structure. The most fabrication-intensive lead role on the team.
Defines how the car handles. Runs kinematic analysis in OptimumK, designs all four corners of the suspension in CAD, oversees machining of uprights and hubs, and sets up geometry at the track. Every handling characteristic of the car flows from this role.
Gets the car moving. Responsible for the Honda CBR engine rebuild, custom intake plenum design, exhaust fabrication, ECU configuration, fuel system, and the full drivetrain from engine sprocket to rear wheels. First start is this role's milestone.
Makes the car smart and safe. Designs the full wiring harness from schematic, installs all sensors and safety systems, configures the AiM data logger, and owns all electrical troubleshooting. If something isn't starting or a sensor isn't reading, this is the person who finds out why.
Makes the team faster through code. Builds the lap simulation model that predicts competition performance, writes data analysis scripts that turn raw AiM logs into actionable tuning decisions, configures the ECU and data systems, and builds internal tools that keep the team organised and efficient. The only role you can contribute to entirely from a laptop.
Funds the build and presents the business case at competition. Manages all sponsor relationships, tracks the budget, coordinates procurement, and prepares the cost report and business plan presentation — both scored events at FSAE. The team doesn't run without this role.
Supports system leads with CAD modeling, component downloads, assembly work, and fabrication drawings. Ideal for students who know SolidWorks and want to build real-world modeling experience on a complex multi-part assembly.
Hands-on build support in the shop. Tube cutting, deburring, part prep, fiberglass layups, hardware installation, and shop organization. Welders and machinists are especially valuable. This is where the car actually gets built — no experience is wasted here.
Keeps the build stocked. Researches vendors, tracks orders, manages the parts inventory, and hunts down the best prices on everything from AN fittings to used engines. If the team runs out of welding rod mid-session, that's this role's nightmare to prevent.
Builds the paper trail that wins points at competition. The FSAE design report and cost report are judged events — a well-documented car scores more than an undocumented one even with the same hardware. This role starts on day one and runs until competition day.
Tells the story of the build. Runs the team's Instagram and LinkedIn, creates content that attracts sponsors and recruits, and makes Ohlone Racing visible to the Bay Area engineering community. Great sponsors and great recruits find teams that look active and credible online.
Drives the car at testing and competition. Provides consistent, documented feedback that the technical team uses to tune suspension, brakes, and ECU. FSAE drivers are not passengers — you are a sensor, and your feedback directly shapes how the car is developed.
For core roles, here's the four-step process from interest to full team member.
Fill out the contact form below or show up to a team meeting. Tell us which role you're interested in and a bit about your background.
The relevant system lead has a 30-minute conversation with you — no pressure, no trick questions. We're calibrating fit, not filtering people out.
You're assigned real, meaningful work for 4–6 weeks. Show up, do the work, communicate when you can't. That's all we ask.
After the trial, the role is yours. You're on the team, you're on the car, and you go to competition with us.