Bullet Racing accelerates toward further success with alumni donation

Tuesday, May 13, 2025

Media Contact: Desa James | Communications Coordinator | 405-744-2669 | desa.james@okstate.edu

Oklahoma State University’s Bullet Racing team is speeding toward excellence, thanks to a generous endowment made in memory of a passionate racing enthusiast and College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology alumni. 

The donation, made by Mary Davey, a 1972 chemical engineering graduate, is in memory of her late brother, Robert “Bob” Lembcke. Bob was a 1974 mechanical engineering graduate and spent most of his life involved with racing. The endowment will provide sustainable funding that eases the team’s operational costs and travel expenses, creating new opportunities for long-term growth and success. 

Bullet Racing, the competitive student organization representing OSU in FSAE events, designs and manufactures nearly 90% of its high-performance vehicles in-house each year, competes against 120 other teams internationally. The program offers students from all disciplines an opportunity to engage in real-world, hands-on engineering challenges. 

For the competition, the teams act as a fictional engineering firm tasked with designing and building a prototype for a quarter-scale formula-style race car. The car is evaluated for its design, performance, manufacturability and business potential, simulating an actual vehicle project intended for the amateur autocross market. Each team is challenged to innovate within a specific annual ruleset, taking their designs from concept to completion. 

“Students gain critical industry skills such as teamwork, problem-solving, critical thinking, and project management,” said Aidan Rogers, president of the Bullet Racing Club. “It’s not a class project. It’s a full-time commitment, with many students dedicating 40-60 hours a week to the team.” 

Founded in 2018 by Ray Lucas, Zink Center manager, Bullet Racing emerged from a rebranding of Oklahoma State Racing, which has existed since 1997. The program quickly established itself as a respected name among industry professionals and prospective students. Bullet Racing’s vehicles consistently draw praise at national competitions for their professional appearance and advanced design, and the team totes the reputation as one of the most followed and engaged with individual formula accounts on Instagram. 

Recently, the team was invited to the first FSAE European Invitational. Invites were sent to the top 100 teams in the world, making Bullet Racing the only Oklahoma team that would be in attendance.  

Students involved in Bullet Racing can join as freshmen and see how their work impacts the overall vehicle for years on end. 

“You get to be a part of something, like the whole thing. You have so much input. If you design it, you build it, and you get to see it actually physically work,” Rogers said.  

The endowment from Davey, made in honor of her late brother’s lifelong passion for motorsports, will eventually total $500,000. Once fully funded, the interest generated will provide approximately $25,000 annually to support the team’s travel, safety equipment and project needs. With this funding, Bullet Racing will be able to quadruple its shop size and be among the most financially supported student racing teams in North America. 

The gift will also help Bullet Racing expand into new territory. With industry trends shifting toward electric vehicles, the team has begun developing an EV platform, integrating it into their competitive and academic programs to prepare students for evolving engineering fields. 

The team will compete in the international FSAE competition in Michigan beginning May 14.