Ohlone College Renegades: Ohlone College's first-ever Formula SAE team — Renegades designing, fabricating, and racing a full open-wheel prototype car from scratch in Fremont & Newark, CA.
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. No kit, no shortcut, and no precedent at Ohlone College.
4130 chromoly steel space frame, TIG welded by students. Designed to FSAE roll-hoop and impact-attenuator rules with every node calculated before cutting.
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, tested against FSAE dimensional rules, and paired with a flat underbody floor.
AiM MXS dash with GPS lap timing, four-corner wheel speed logging, Python lap simulation, TunerStudio ECU mapping, and Deutsch DT harnesses.
Rules study, suspension geometry simulation, chassis design, engine selection, procurement of long-lead items, and SAE registration.
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 verified before rolling.
Shakedown, data-driven tuning, driver development, reliability runs, bodywork/aero fitment, and competition tech checklist completion.
FSAE Michigan or Lincoln. Static events (design, cost, business plan) and dynamic events (skidpad, autocross, acceleration, endurance).
Engineering, computer science, electrical, and business students from Ohlone College. Every person builds, designs, and competes.
We have roles for every background — engineers, fabricators, machinists, welders, electronics techs, business students, and creatives. No prior FSAE experience is required.
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 system leads, manages master schedule, and drives external relationships.
Designs and builds the backbone of the car. Owns the space frame from SolidWorks sketch to final TIG weld and FEA compliance.
Defines how the car handles. Runs kinematic analysis in OptimumK, designs all four corners in CAD, and oversees upright machining.
Gets the car moving. Responsible for the Honda CBR engine rebuild, 20mm restrictor intake plenum, exhaust, and rear drivetrain.
Makes the car smart and safe. Designs the full wiring harness schematic, safety kill switches, and AiM MXS data acquisition system.
Makes the team faster through code. Builds lap simulation models, analyzes AiM telemetry logs, and maintains team automation tools.
Attend a weekly team meeting on the Ohlone Fremont campus or reach out on our socials.
Have a relaxed 30-minute chat with the system lead to match your skills and schedule.
Take on real, meaningful engineering or shop tasks for 4–6 weeks alongside the crew.
Earn your official role, help complete the car, and travel with the Renegades to FSAE.
