1. How can I get involved as a new member?

Attending the club fair at the beginning of the fall semester is the best way to get involved.

2. How do I contact the club about joining?

Email: insae@lehigh.edu 

1. Who drives the car?

It could be you!  All major contributing members will get the chance to drive starting their sophomore year. We have a tryout in order to determine the best and most consistent drivers for competition. 

2. How fast does it go?

This car is not built specifically for top speed, but rather for agility and acceleration. The top speed gears out around 70 mph, but we rarely ever see >50 mph. Pulls some very high lateral Gs though.

3. What place did you finish in last year?

Lehigh Racing placed 82nd out of 121 competing teams in 2023. We did well in the Business and Cost Events, where we placed 7th and 16th place respectively. What these stats don't tell you is that we were 1of 23 cars to get an acceleration time and we did this while working with a substantially smaller budget than most schools who often spend in excess of $100,000 annually.  We also have seen great year-on-year improvement which we expect to continue as we build our team back up from a loss of knowledge resulting from the COVID years where we were unable to build a car.

4. Why is there no wing on the car?

Aerodynamics is a very tricky aspect of automotive design that we have not prioritized in past years.  That said, our Aero Team is exploring conceptual designs with possible implementation this year or next year at the latest. 

5. What is the difference between Formula SAE and Baja SAE?

Formula SAE builds race cars competing at great speeds on an international scale where every detail counts. Baja SAE builds a lawn mower-powered cart.

6. Do you build the car from scratch?

Yes!  We manufacture much of the car including the chassis, suspension components, steering rack, and drivetrain.

7. Can we turbocharge it?  

We want to more than you do.

1. What is the time commitment?

It's the cliche "you get out what you put in."  As a first year student you will be expected to come to the Tuesday/Saturday meetings. This will take up 4-6 hours a week at first, but we are flexible with the occasional outside obligation.  As you become more involved with the team your commitment will definitely increase. The team leaders will be putting in 30-50 hours a week during crunch time. 

2. Can I do this and Greek life?

Some team members are involved in Greek life; they are excellent at time management.

3. Do I have to be an engineer?

No!  We have a variety of roles to fill outside of technical engineering roles.  We manage our own business operations, social media marketing, and more and we are always looking for a diverse student mix.  And we can teach business students how to use a wrench.

4. Can I use the shop for personal projects

Not typically, but upperclassman on the team can help you find resources and work space elsewhere on campus where your projects can be fulfilled.

5. Do I have to wear protective equipment?

In the shop, you will be required to wear safety glasses, pants, and closed toed shoes.  Safety glasses are provided, you had best bring your own pants.

7. Do I get course credit for FSAE?

No, but FSAE is a great way to gain experiential learning that you won’t find in the classroom, and is also a place to do real engineering which is very important to many employers. FSAE is also sponsored by almost all major aerospace and automotive companies and is a soft requirement for many major automakers. Many of these companies recruit directly out of FSAE.

1. Do I have to know about cars?

As long as you aren’t designing a vehicle component, no. Many of the most important team members know nothing about cars. As you begin to design you will most definitely start picking it up through the experience alone. We also have great resources for introducing people to the automotive industry. 

2. How do I join a subteam?

By showing interest!  Talk to the team leads and ask them questions about what they are working on and they are likely to involve you. 

3. How easy is it for a first year to be involved?

With a few simple steps, very easy: show up, ask questions, and take pride in your work (always). You will be quickly noticed and given new tasks, or bring something new to the team. We love new ideas.