Our History
Early Days
Formula SAE began at the University of Houston in 1979, first named The Mini-Indy.
5 Horsepower B&S engines were used. 13 schools entered and 11 competed that first year.
In 1981, The Mini-Indy was renamed Formula SAE. In 1984, The University of Houston won its first and only Formula SAE competition.
Cougar Racing Returns
With the goal of becoming competitive within Formula SAE, Team Coogs was formed at the turn of 2015 as a first year team. The team continued to compete through the rest of the 2010s, until the Covid-19 pandemic. The team spent the first few years after the pandemic rebuilding the team in preparation of returning to competition.
Cougar Racing Now
After a 5 year hiatus, Cougar Racing returned to competition with "Faith"!
The team began vehicle fabrication in 2023, but the car did not make it to the 2024 competition. Cougar Racing still competed in the Presentation Event, placing 10th out of 111 universities. The team did get a chance to take the car to Michigan International Speedway in 2025, competing for the first time in 6 years!
Entering into the 2026 season, Cougar Racing returned to a one year design cycle for the first time since 2019. Although the team was unable to participate in the dynamic events, the 2026 car, named "Sam," was over 100 lbs lighter than the previous year. Coming off this year, the team is focused on refining vehicle reliability, improving testing and validation processes, and building on the lessons learned from the accelerated development cycle to create a more competitive car for the 2027 season.
