This year, Western Washington University’s racing club requested $20,000 and was given $22,000 from Porsche Club of America, which is – as far as sponsorship donations go – the largest sum of money the team has ever received.
WWU Racing is an entirely student-run organization whose members are responsible for acquiring their own funds each year. The group believes students shouldn’t have to pay to be a part of the team.
“Our primary goals are to build and teach industry professionals, build an inclusive community and pass inspection at competition,” Business Director Ashley Beauvais said.
It costs about $70,000 to build a car every year, 85% of which is made entirely from scratch, and send it to competition each year. The racing club’s sponsor list is extensive, the biggest ones being Porsche Club of America, PACCAR and Irongate Machine.
Because the club is student-run, the leadership is in charge of setting their own budgets, specifically Beauvais, who is responsible for managing the team’s budgets, purchasing and sponsor relations.
What the team is expected to do with sponsorship money depends on different factors each year. This year, the team is expected to use the funding to build an electric race car that passes inspection at the annual Formula SAE competition, which takes place on June 16, 2026.
“If anything is off by half of a centimeter, it won’t pass inspection and we cannot compete in the racing events,” Beauvais said.
At FSAE, the competition lasts four to five days, where each of the 99 U.S. and international racing clubs go through multiple stages of inspection. Roughly 30% of the teams that participate pass inspection. Western’s racing club has not passed inspection at FSAE since 2019.
V67 (Viking 67) is the name of the car the team has spent all year building and will be taking to FSAE in June. The manufacturing and design process of V67 took approximately 15 months to complete, from just the idea of the vehicle itself to bringing it to life at the public reveal.
“The design process of the car is very technical. It requires various mathematical models and simulations and computer-aided design,” Project Manager Rye Petter said.
Petter supports his team by ensuring they have sufficient time to complete their tasks and access to all the tools they need.
Petter and Beauvais explain that their club’s sponsors remain loyal to WWU Racing because the team offers something more meaningful than money and prizes: a valuable learning experience for students. By supporting the program, sponsors are investing in education, mentorship and professional development. They also recognize the opportunity to cultivate and support the next generation of skilled future employees.
“I love this team because it’s an amazing community. You gain a lot of great experience and it gives me really good connections into the industry,” said third-year Western student, Andy Guthrie, who has been on the team since his sophomore year and is responsible for brakes, pedals and steering.
This past Give Day at Western, the club was given nearly $10,000 from alumni alone. The team is primarily funded to ensure students face no financial barriers. Also, it’s not cheap to build a car.
“People shouldn’t have to pay to learn and to be on the team,” Beauvais said.
Although generously funded, the racing club’s success isn’t due to funding alone. Team members collaborate closely, working together like a well-oiled machine.
Learn more about WWU Racing through their website and keep up with their updates on Instagram.
Maddie Ferguson (she/her) is a second-year journalism student and campus news reporter for The Front this quarter. When she's not chasing waterfalls or playing chess, she can usually be found at the beach searching for sea creatures at low tide. You can reach her at maddieferguson.thefront@gmail.com.
