Early Days
Motorsports at Charlotte in an official capacity began to take shape in the early 1990s. In 1994, the first Alan Kulwicki Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Ryan Zeck as he took a ride in the convertible pace car prior to the NASCAR Winston Select All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Around 1997, 49ers Racing FSAE was created and gave students the opportunity to start building formula racecars.
Alan Kulwicki: Engineer & 1992 NASCAR Winston Cup Champion. Kulwicki’s promising career was tragically cut short when he passed away in a plane crash in April of 1993. His foundation has supported 49ers Racing from its conception, allowing students to gain valuable knowledge of motorsports.
Bob Johnson, in the car, with Ryan Zeck, two leading figures in the creation of the Automotive and Motorsports Engineering program at Charlotte.
Testing 49ers Racing first FSAE formula car in 1997.
a new millennium
2002: Charlotte finishes 5th out of 125 entrants at FSAE Michigan at the Pontiac Silverdome.
2006: Charlotte finishes 11th out of 65 entrants at Mini Baja East held at Auburn University in Alabama and opens the purpose-built Motorsports Engineering Laboratory allowing 49ers Racing to move out of a small lab in the Smith Building.
2008: 49ers Racing partners with Central Piedmont Community College to run at FSAE Michigan.
Charlotte’s 2006 challenger after taking some of the off-road punishment SAE Baja has to offer.
The 2001 car, seen here, helped lay the foundations for one of 49ers Racing’s best FSAE results.
The Charlotte/CPCC team at Michigan International Speedway, this effort would place 74th.
Charlotte Rising
2009: Thanks in part to a generous donation from the Kulwicki Foundation, Charlotte changes the name of the motorsports lab to the “Alan D. Kulwicki Motorsports Laboratory” in honor of “Special K”.
2012: Charlotte opens the Motorsports Research Building, including a wind tunnel, alternative propulsion dynamometer, and computer labs among other cutting-edge research equipment.
2018: 49ers Racing builds its first car with a full aerodynamic kit: front and rear wings developed by students.
2022: After returning after a 4 year post-COVID “sabbatical”, 49ers Racing places 25th. With a gap in student involvement and a lack of knowledge transfer, 2022 is considered our “first year back”.
49ers Racing’s 2011 FSAE car at Michigan International Speedway, this effort would score a 24th place overall finish.
Student driver Eric Duncan sits behind the wheel in the pits at Michigan International Speedway, this effort would bring home a 64th place finish in 2018.
In 2022, 49ers Racing returned to Formula SAE competition for the first time since 2018. The 2Under2Bird would place 25th overall, an impressive result for a first-year team.
GOING FOR GOLD
2023: At the 2023 competition, 49ers Racing placed 9th overall out of 120+ other colleges and universities: 3rd for endurance and 2nd for fuel efficiency. This is one of the team’s top finishes, an incredible feat for a 2-year returned team.
2024: Our first top-10 finish in over two decades was not enough. Our team worked harder than ever in the 2024 season, and despite not being selected for design finalists, claimed a 2nd overall against 110+ other universities from around the world. We set new records for our team such as 5th skidpad, 4th in presentation, 3rd in autocross, 3rd endurance, and 6th efficiency. Not only are these records the best ever in our club’s history, we were also the top placing Carolina team, fastest single-cylinder car, our first time being top business finalist, and it was our first full aerodynamic kit since 2018.
Placing 2nd overall and ready for 2025, there is only one more spot to go.
The 2023 team with Underbird 23. Our team after securing 9th overall just two-years back from COVID.
The 2024 team gathered around Underbird 24. The 2024 season has been the best placing season for 49ers racing ever. There is only one more spot to go.