Before competing, every car must pass technical inspection, a rigorous evaluation ensuring compliance with FSAE rules and safety standards. This process is divided into several key phases: scrutineering, tilt, noise, and brake tests. Each successful test earns the car a sticker, and without passing all inspections, the car cannot compete.

Scrutineering

Judges conduct a thorough examination of the car, checking for rule violations, safety concerns, and proper construction.

Tilt Test

With a driver inside, the car is placed on a tilt stand and gradually inclined. It must not spill fluids up to 45 degrees and must remain stable up to 60 degrees—a critical test for rollover resistance and fluid containment.

Noise Test

The car’s exhaust noise level is measured to ensure it falls within the limits set by the FSAE Rulebook. Additionally, inspectors verify that the kill switch functions properly, allowing the car to be shut off immediately if needed.

Brake Test

A driver accelerates the car down a short straightaway and must demonstrate full brake integrity by stopping completely without spinning. To pass, all four wheels must lock simultaneously while the engine remains running.

Business Logic Case

Each team must submit a Business Logic Case, a comprehensive document outlining the strategy behind scaling production of the team’s race car. This document details key factors such as production volume, target market, profitability, and the car’s unique selling points.

Business Presentation

At competition, the Business Presentation brings this case to life. Two team representatives present to a panel of judges acting as potential investors. This high-stakes pitch showcases not only the car’s technical and commercial viability but also the team’s ability to navigate the real-world challenges of the automotive industry.

Presenters must be prepared to answer critical business and financial questions, treating the judges as corporate executives evaluating a potential investment. This event is an opportunity for teams to demonstrate their understanding of both engineering excellence and business, bridging the gap between design and market success.

Cost Report

Before the competition, each team must submit a comprehensive cost report detailing the cost of every part and manufacturing process required to produce a complete vehicle. During the event, a team representative will defend the report against judge evaluations, addressing any discrepancies between the submitted document and the actual vehicle. Unexplained inconsistencies will result in penalties impacting the final score.

Teams are scored based on the final adjusted production cost of their car. Additionally, they must tackle a real-world cost management challenge, responding to scenarios such as cost overruns or production issues, demonstrating their ability to optimize expenses under realistic manufacturing constraints.

Design Event

The Design Event is the most heavily weighted static event in competition. Here, the team presents and defends the engineering behind every aspect of the racecar, from design choices to testing and analysis.

Judges put team members to the test, questioning their decisions and challenging their reasoning. Every detail matters, from intake shape and suspension geometry to tire selection, engine calibration, and chassis design. Teams must prove they have thoroughly validated each choice through sound engineering principles and real-world data.

To support this event, a design document is submitted in advance, serving as a reference for both judges and team members during evaluations. Scoring is based on the team's depth of knowledge, the appropriateness of selected components, and the overall fit, finish, and execution of the car’s design.

This event pushes teams to think like professional engineers, ensuring that every decision is backed by analysis, testing, and a deep understanding of vehicle dynamics.

Each car starts from a standstill and accelerates at full power to the end of a 75-meter straightaway. The cars are scored based on the best elapsed time of four runs to complete the distance.

Each car completes a Figure 8 course, with two laps going in the right-hand direction, and two laps left-hand. The cars are scored based on the average time between each half of the Figure 8. The best average time of the four runs is used.

A cone course is set up for the cars navigate. With only one car on the track at a time, scoring is based on the time to complete one lap. Again, four laps are allotted per team. This event features several hairpin turns, slaloms, and short straightaways, putting the car through highly transient maneuvers.

This 22-kilometer race, with multiple cars simultaneously on track, is the flagship event at the competition. Each car completes half the race before coming in for a driver change where it must start under its own battery. The driver change lasts 3 minutes at most and is often the critical turning point for teams. Endurance features a mixture of straightaways, tight turns, hairpin turns, and slaloms. Passing zones are periodically available to allow for faster cars to overcome competitors. The car is allowed to stall on the track, but must start up again on its own. If parts fall off, or the car is unable to continue in any way, it is disqualified and gains only 1 point per lap completed until the breakdown. If the team completes the race, points are awarded based on total time for the full 22 km.

Before endurance, the fuel tank is filled by track marshals. Afterwards, it is refilled, and the amount of fuel consumed determines the fuel efficiency score. Points are deducted if the fuel level drops after being refilled to combat cheating.