History
Bobcat Motorsports was founded in 2005 in coordination with Mechanical & Industrial Engineering Professor Robb Larson. The first car to be built by the students of Montana State was Formula #20. After months of work, #20 was ready for Formula Student West hosted at the Auto Club Speedway in California. Bobcat Motorsports placed 46 out of a total of 70 competitors in its first year competing.
In 2013 we built formula #56. Built with a steel tube frame and a 600cc Kawasaki engine, The car could put out 69hp with a top speed of 65mph and could do produce 1.3g's worth of acceleration. The team took car 56 down to Lincoln, Nebraska for competition where it placed 30th out of 80 teams.
In 2017, Baja #89 was the second baja vehicle that the team had produced. Built with a steel tube frame and powered by a 10hp Briggs & Stratton engine, the team took the Baja car down to Gorman, California for competition where we competed the vehicle against other SAE teams and had a great time fabricating, fixing, and racing the baja car.
In 2017 an old formula car from 2005 was rebuilt with new suspension likeage, steering column, shifter, and unrestricted motor. The new car was named #75, as an homage to the original formula car that the new car was built around, #74. Though #75
could never be raced in a SAE event it was still raced in SCCA events around
Montana, where it placed top three in its class several times.
In 2019 Baja #53 was built and raced to great success in Goman California. It competed in every event and did supremely well in the Endurance race, as it was built to last. The car proved itself very reliable, rarely breaking, and when it did, it was very minor fixes to get it back on track. It had a unique transmission setup, utilizing both a CVT and a standard 5 speed transmission.
In 2022, Car #76 made its debut with a brand-new chassis, transmission, drivetrain, and suspension system. Notably, it marked the inaugural year of incorporating 4 Wheel Drive into the vehicle. A chain was routed beneath the driver's seat, connecting to a front differential that powered the front wheels. The car then headed to Rochester, New York for the competition. Impressively, it secured a remarkable third place in the sled pull event - our highest placement to date in any event. Additionally, it successfully completed the endurance race, a milestone achievement for us. Overall, Car #76 finished 18th in the competition.
Mission
The mission of Bobcat Motorsports is to build competitive racing vehicles through adherence to sound engineering philosophies, ethical business practices, and disciplined creative input.
Student Outreach
We are the longest continuously running SAE chapter at Montana State University, if not the longest continuously running club. We provide a safe way to let gearheads express themselves on and off the track. Our students come from a wide variety of backgrounds, majors, and levels of knowledge of racing. As long as you are interested in the nitty-gritty of the automotive world, this is the place for you. We come together to design and build high performance vehicles for use in SAE racing competitions.