LOS ANGELES — Within the garage of Pereira Hall, members of Lions Motorsport aim to design, build, and race the school’s first-ever formula-style car entirely from scratch.
Established in 2024, the idea of the team was initially presented as a mechanical engineering capstone project. What once started as a small group of students grew to over 100 registered members, including roughly 30 students who have been credited with working on the car at least three to four times a week.
Their goal? To have a fully custom-built car ready to compete in the Formula SAE (IC), a competition consisting of more than 100 schools from across the globe. Hosted at Michigan International Speedway from May 13-16, teams are judged based on their design choices and on-track performance. Faced with a 140-page rulebook, students are required to follow careful guidelines to ensure that their cars are eligible for competition.
“There was this guy I met that he did this competition at his school. And he was like… I’m going to quiz you on the rule book. And he went line by line like, oh, this question. Every single one I was getting right. I’m like, holy crap, this is my life. Like, it kind of hit me then, like, how much of my life I really dedicated to this. Because I was just able to rattle off the rules from the rule book,” said suspension lead, Anton Baricevic.
Throughout the past year, the team spent most of its time on the drawing board and went through several iterations of the car before construction was even considered. Starting from the computer, the team would carefully design each element of the car using 3D modeling software, and after confirming which components work best, they would take each design to the garage for manufacturing. Apart from core elements such as engine and tires, the rest of the car is completely custom-built, with all other components manufactured by the students themselves.
Despite the rigorous work schedule, members like Baricevic have embraced this new challenge, highlighting the joy of an exciting opportunity with a hands-on approach to engineering.
“We’re in here a lot. We’re in here late nights. There’s been a couple of all-nighters with this as well. So, you know, meeting deadlines for getting stuff in for our professors to look at. And, you know, it’s a lot of work. But I’m having a good time. It’s very fulfilling,” said Baricevic.
After roughly a year’s worth of design and preparation, the team now begins to work on the physical aspect of their project, starting with the frame. Based on their current 3D model, steel tubing is both cut and welded together, creating the basic structure of the frame while also leaving room for the engine, driver, and cooling components. Being the first build of the group’s history, they continue to learn as they make their way towards competition, and have credited information sessions with UCLA, USC, and CSUN for assisting in their research. Without a previous model to work off of, the group has phased through several designs and remains prepared to navigate through potential obstacles while constructing the frame.
“Now we’re finally getting to the physical part. And so, you know, there’s probably going to be some things we have to troubleshoot, but, you know, that’s part of engineering,” said Baricevic.
Back when the group registered, they were initially placed on a waitlist of more than 100 schools. But the very next day, the team had a stroke of luck and was notified that they were randomly selected to participate in the competition.
Now, surrounded by hundreds of other teams, this new crew, started by a few engineering students, would have the chance to showcase their ability against global competitors. Following the selection, current senior and team president Christian Maadanian expressed his excitement for the opportunity as he shared
“So the really cool part of this competition, though, is completely international. So even though it’s in Michigan, we have teams from Mexico, we have teams from Spain, Italy, that fly their car over or ship their car across the world,” said Maadanian.
While they remain excited to compete, the team has faced several challenges when it comes to funding. Unlike several competitors, this new team has gained the majority of its funding through a combination of donations, support from the engineering department, and its first-ever sponsorship deal with HAAS Automation Inc. Despite the challenge, the crew did not let this affect their motivation and have committed to manufacturing as many parts as they can themselves to maximize their current budget.
“All of this is driven by our passion. Nothing is, you know, like we didn’t get to go to the school cause we’re funded to do this thing. It’s just because literally we have the passion,” said Maadanian.
As the team works their way towards the May competition, they continue to work on building all physical aspects of the car, ready to include the engine once all surrounding elements are completed. For many, the team has served as much more than just being a part of a competition, it has allowed many interested students from all majors to receive direct experience in the field of engineering, doing something they love. What once began as a capstone project has since evolved into a growing community at LMU, gaining interest from several incoming students preparing to make their college commitments.
“After the school saw how engaged students are, and it’s more of, like, a recruitment kind of opportunity for LMU, there’s actually, like, students now that come as a freshman saying, like, oh, I went to LMU because I see you guys have a formula team,” Maadanian added.
While the Formula SAE serves as a major milestone for the crew, it marks the first step of a potential new legacy for LMU engineering. You can find the team working on campus, as they currently continue building their car for their May deadline.
