From steam locomotives in the 1800s, to the supersonic rockets of the space age, Purdue University students have always been interested in speed. Motorsports is a natural proving ground for the engineering knowledge and experience Purdue is famous for worldwide.
It’s no surprise that there are Boilermaker alumni all over the motorsports world. Two NASCAR crew chiefs, Chris Gabehart and Jon Hassler, are Purdue Mechanical Engineering grads. Many have also found their way to INDYCAR, such as Chip Ganassi’s Angela Ashmore, and the team at Juncos Hollinger Racing.
We’re also pioneering the next generation of racing technologies. Building on the 60-year karting history of the Purdue Grand Prix, Purdue hosted the first ever EVGrandPrix in 2009, and every year welcomes electric karting teams from around the world to Purdue’s home track. Boilers also have participated in the Indy Autonomous Challenge, designing full-size cars to autonomously race around the world-famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Students build their own race cars every year as part of the annual SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) Collegiate Design Series. This includes a year-long design process, manufacturing, testing, and racing against other universities. These teams are:
Since 1983, Purdue Baja SAE have built single-seat off-road race cars, designed to traverse any kind of terrain or obstacle.
Purdue Formula SAE builds a single-seat Formula-style car with an internal combustion engine. In 2022 they finished 2nd overall among all 99 university teams from the U.S., Canada, Mexico, South America, and Asia.
Purdue Electric Racing builds a similar Formula-style car with electric motors, powered by a 300-volt battery pack, going 0-60 in under 4 seconds.
Contact managing director Todd Nelson for information and sponsorship opportunities with Purdue Motorsports!
tnelson1@purdue.edu | 317-760-9789