UT Arlington hosts Texas Autocross Weekend for student-designed formula cars

ARLINGTON, Texas - It is Texas Autocross Weekend at the University of Texas at Arlington.

Students from across the country will bring their self-built, self-designed formula cars to North Texas.

If there’s one thing for certain, the science fair project you likely remember has evolved.

UT Arlington engineering major Mariam Mohammed thought it would all be just a hobby. 

"It’s really addicting. When you start, you realize how much you don’t know," she said. "I came in as a volunteer, which means I came in knowing nothing and just starting learning. I slowly progressed to become the suspension lead of the ’24 car."

Bob Woods is the founder and head advisor of UTA Racing.

"I love to see the students blossom and grow," he said. "When they come in, they don’t even know how to run a drill press. And when they leave, they run every machine in the shop."

On Saturday, a campus event now 23 years in the making will see nearly two dozen teams and 40 uniquely built cars from all over the country gather for Texas Autocross Weekend, a national intercollegiate competition.

"We have 40 cars coming here from all over… as far away as Missouri, Texas and so forth," Woods said. "They’ll line up and run whatever order they want, as many times as they want. Just really have a great time."

Some of the cars are electric; Some are combustible. 

It’s been a big gearshifter for students like Mohammed. She’s now certain of her desired engineering area of focus.

"I would like to design, build cars," she said. "I would love to race cars if I could."

Texas Autocross weekend kicks off Saturday at 9 a.m.

Admission is free.