Engineering students from Coleg Meirion Dwyfor race to national finals

Students from Coleg Meirion Dwyfor and local school pupils supported by the college have achieved outstanding results in this year’s STEM Racing North Wales regional finals, with two teams now progressing to the UK National Finals later this month.

A total of 39 students took part in the competition, which was held in Denbigh and included 18 teams from across North Wales.

STEM Racing UK is a national competition that teaches students to design, make, test and race miniature cars, equipping them with real-world skills and inspiring the next generation of engineering and STEM professionals.

Professional Class success

Two teams of students, studying for a BTEC L3 in Enhanced General Engineering at Coleg Meirion Dwyfor, competed in the Professional Class, racing their own miniature Formula 1-style cars down a 20-metre track in just over one second.

Rapid Rebels, from the Pwllheli campus, finished second overall crossing the line in 1.553 seconds, meaning they will go on to represent North Wales in the STEM Racing UK National Finals in Rotherham from 25-26 March. DAFAD Racing, from the Dolgellau campus, came a very close third, with just 0.002 seconds separating the two teams.

The results reflected months of hard work by the students and the support of their sponsors, Carl Kammerling International, Milliput, REHAU Limited and Major Owen.

Emlyn Evans, Engineering lecturer and STEM Racing Lead coordinator at Coleg Meirion Dwyfor, said: “Both teams gave an amazing performance on the day. The margins were incredibly close and the racing was very exciting to watch. Our students should be proud of what they achieved.”

As part of the competition, teams must do far more than just race their cars. Students organise themselves like a small company, taking on roles such as project manager, design engineer, marketing lead and finance manager. They design their cars using professional computer-aided design (CAD) software, create engineering and enterprise portfolios and present their work to judges.

“Students set up their teams from scratch, create a brand and find sponsorship. It’s a fantastic learning experience and something they can include in university or apprenticeship applications,” continued Emlyn.

Rapid Rebels

Development Class victory

Students from the Level 3 Engineering course at the Pwllheli campus took part in the Development Class at the regional finals.
Team Draig and Peregrine Racing, made up of six students each, competed head to head against five other teams. After strong performances both on the track and in their portfolios, Team Draig finished first, securing their place at the STEM Racing UK National Finals in Rotherham. With the support of their sponsors Peckish Takeaway in Pwllheli, Major Owen, Stihl and Anglesey Circuit, Team Draig created a brand that resonated with the judges.

Team Draig and Peregrine Racing

Supporting younger students

Also in the competition were four Entry Class teams from local schools, supported by Coleg Meirion Dwyfor through its 14–16 programme at the college’s Hafan campus in Pwllheli.

Students from four schools took part:

• Hyperline Racing – Ysgol Glan y Môr
• M-Rol Racing – Ysgol Ardudwy and Ysgol Botwnnog
• Porthmadog Bulldogs – Ysgol Eifionydd
• Monocoque – Ysgol Botwnnog

The students designed and built their own small racing cars as part of their CAD unit at the college.

The Porthmadog Bulldogs won best designed car in the Entry Class, while Monocoque took home the trophy for the judges’ choice for outstanding contribution in the competition.

Emlyn said: “It has been a pleasure to see our young engineers from all four schools take part in what is a challenging and demanding competition. Getting to the competition takes a great deal of work and commitment, as they rely on each other to work as a cohesive team.”

The Entry Class racing cars

We couldn’t do this without our sponsors

A huge thank you to every one of our sponsors! It is your support that made it possible for all of the teams to take part in the competition. It’s a fantastic opportunity that gives students experience and skills that will last a lifetime.

Looking ahead

With Rapid Rebels and Team Draig now heading to the national finals at the end of March, the teams are continuing to raise funds and seek sponsorship to support their journey.

Donations are gratefully received via the team’s Go Fund Me page: https://www.gofundme.com/f/hel...

Sponsorship and logo placement opportunities on the cars and team clothing are also available. Please contact Emlyn Evans at Coleg Meirion Dwyfor via email for more information: evans12e@glln.ac.uk.