THE CHALLENGE
A year-long motorsport-inspired STEM competition where students become an engineering team and compete to become S-RC Champions.
"I knew nothing about F1, so it was really interested to see it from an engineering POV "
Evangeline - Student / Team Principal, Wheely Fast Car (City of Bristol College)
As seen on:
What is the S-RC Cup Journey?
Design
Teams of students get together to form a motorsport brand. They “Design” everything – from the team identity, to the business plan and sponsor proposal, on and off track strategy, and of course the car itself.
Every team member has a role, and everyone contributes. Some ideas are:
- Team Principal
- Driver
- Chief Engineer
- Race Strategist
- Marketing Coordinator
- Social Media Admin
- Sponsorship Director
Build
Once teams have a structure and plan in place, they begin “building” what they need. Teams access real industry to find and secure sponsors, who help fund the parts which contribute to building your first car, and all the upgrades you plan for it. Remember – you have development time between races! The car you take to the first event does not have to be the same as the car you win a championship on.
Test
Arguably one of the most important phases – testing! Test your car at school, and make use of the no-points S-RC Pre-Season test to gather valuable data. Teams use skills picked up in Year 8-11 Physics and Maths to conduct meaningful tests and gather data the same way a Formula One team would.
Struggling with test ideas? The S-RC Cup Mentor team is on hand through our dedicated teams forum to give you ideas.
The data you gather here could influence what you decide to do with your car as the season progresses. You will never have enough money to upgrade everything, so where do you focus your budget to maximise your performance and race results?
Race
The exciting part! Travel to races across the country, and experience full “racedays“.
The day follows a traditional motorsport format, with Free Practice sessions, followed by Qualifying and then a Grand Prix race. Points are on offer for the Quali and Grand Prix, and there will be “Mock Broadcasters” roaming around throughout the day asking questions – so be prepared to defend and explain your design choices!
The race is a 20-30 minute feature race, featuring a battery-swap pitstop. With batteries that do not last the full race distance, and perform differently at the top and bottom of the pack – there is a heavy element of race strategy here, paired with driver skill, and energy management physics! Paired with quick pitstop repairs after crashes, the race truly is an exciting, edge-of-your seat spectacle!
Iterate / Upgrade
Just like in F1, between races you have weeks of development time. Use this to analyse the data from your previous race, and figure out your next move. Do you upgrade your motor? Change the bodywork? The Tyres? You are free to do whatever you deem is best!
This is also a good time to look at your Driver’s performance, and adjust their training plan for the next race.
Compete for the Championship
Every team begins the year with equal chances of taking home the S-RC Cup. Learn by doing, Adapt, be ever curious, and compete for your position in the championship!
Most importantly – Have Fun! The S-RC Cup is designed to be an enjoyable process throughout your school year, and hopefully you have a good time competing with rival teams and upgrading your car.
By the end of the year, you should also find that you have learned an immense amount about STEM and Motorsport. S-RC is all about learn by doing, and the skills you pick up here can be used for the rest of your career / life!
Win ON and OFF the track
As well as racing events, throughout the year there will be a number of Off-Track challenges, which also carry points. Put together a portfolio and a video pitch of your motorsport team, tackling engineering challenges, finacial decisions, mock business plan and more.
At the finals, the top two in each off-track category are invited to compete in a one-off category challenge, creating many “mini” STEM Challenges to gain extra points in!
Off Track challenges can sometimes be the difference between the championship!
A TYPICAL RACEDAY
WELCOME
When you arrive, you’ll be shown to your team’s dedicated paddock area. You can set your car up here, and start preparing it for the day. You will also be given materials that might help, such as a trackmap and setup sheet.
SCRUTINEERING
Before you can take your car to the track, S-RC Scrutineers will have a meeting with you to verify your car fits our Technical Regulations. Don’t play it too safe, but don’t do something illegal either! Keep your innovations on the border of the regulations, and persuade the scrutineers that your complies!
TRACK WALK
Walk the track with one of our Staff, learning the places to brake, attack, defend and more. Feel free to take videos and notes that you can analyse during the practice sessions.
FREE PRACTICE
Free Practice sessions let you get on the track without the pressure of points. Your driver can use this time to learn the track, strategists make a race plan, and everyone on your team can practice their roles. Free Practice sessions are optional, so if you feel like you’d rather skip it – go ahead! Just remember – track time is very limited so we recommend you make the most of it when you have it!
QUALIFYING
In Qualifying, you will be released into “clean air” (no cars around you) to set as fast a lap as you can. In some events, you might get multiple opportunities for this. With everyone watching, the pressure is on, but trust your practice and do the best you can!
SHOOTOUT
An S-RC Special, between Quali and the Race – the top 3 finishers from qualifying will take part in a Sprint race (no pit stop, shorter distance), where their finishing order overwrites the Qualifying finishing order. If you qualified on pole (P1), you have to defend that in the Shootout from the P2 and P3 finishers who both want to start the race from the front! Points are on offer in the Shootout as well.
GRAND PRIX
The main event, a 20-30 minute main race, testing your strategy, driving skill, and pit-stop speed. Your battery will not last a full race, so you will have to come into the pits to fit a new one at some point! With crashes, wheel-to-wheel racing, and rapid decision making – the race is definitely something to look forward to.
PRESS CONFERENCE
Team Principals and Drivers will be invited to attend our Press Conferences. These are designed to add to your experience, but also challenge your decisions and make you explain why you did what you did. Why did you choose this upgrade? Why did you pit at this time? Knowing you have a Press Conference coming up helps to keep your decision making reliable throughout the Championship, and also gives you an insight into how other teams think!
What makes S-RC Different
| Traditional STEM | S-RC |
|---|---|
| One-day event | Year-long season |
| Individual projects | Team-based |
| Classroom only | Live race weekends |
| Fixed task | Continuous development |
| Intra competition | National Championship |
FAQs
How many students can you have in a team?
S-RC Teams range from 3-6 students.
If your team is made up of only sixth formers, you have a max cap of 3 members.
If your team is mixed, you are allowed up to 2 sixth formers in your team.
A school can enter multiple teams! Each team is responsible for 1 car.
Do we need prior experience?
Not at all! The S-RC Education Programme is an online portal that competitors get access to. This portal contains videos, interactable games and written articles explaining any concept you may come across in your S-RC Journey.
As well as the Education Programme, you will be invited to a Forum where you can ask more specific questions to the S-RC Mentors, who are all undergraduate university students.
How do I get a Kit Car?
When you sign up, and the season begins, you will be asked if you require a Kit Car.
The Kit car is a useful starting point, and includes all the chassis components needed to get a working car, as well as controller (transmitter) and tyres. You will also be sent 2 race batteries. The Kit car can achieve 50 km/h out of the box, and is highly upgradable.
The Kit Car for Season 1 and Season 2 is a S-RC Gen.1 Formula-RC Racecar worth £240. Teachers can access a competitor discount, lowering the price to £170.
How long does it take?
The S-RC Program itself will take 1 academic year. You begin building your brand in October, have a car ready by January, and race through the season until the Championship Finale in July.
Typically, an S-RC team spends 1-2 hours per week on the project, but you are more than welcome to set your own hours!
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