When one walks the halls of the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology at Oklahoma State University, the prowess of the student body is obvious. From labs where research fosters innovation to lecture halls filled with discussions that could change the world, engineering is on full display in CEAT.

One of the most impactful aspects of engineering at CEAT is both obvious and somewhat unknown: the hands-on experience students gain through competition racing. There are retired cars built and raced by past students that adorn areas such as the Zink Center for Competitive Innovation, showing a longstanding tradition at OSU.

They are the cars built by past members of Bullet Racing and Cowboy Racing, two student-led organizations in which students gain real experience they can carry into their careers. These cars serve as portraits of the past, inspiring students to carry the same traditions forward.

This came to fruition on Friday, May 8, 2026, as both teams unveiled the two cars that students have been hard at work assembling and testing during the 2025-26 school year. These cars serve to showcase the teams' upward trajectory and inspire young students to join, where they can gain early hands-on experience with mechanical engineering concepts.

Ray Lucas, competition hub manager within the Zink Center, has served as an immediate mentor for both teams, sharing the experience he gained as a student member. He also founded Bullet Racing in 2018, a rebrand from Oklahoma State Racing, which had existed since 1997.

The number of participants for the teams has continued to rise since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through his oversight, the teams have infrastructure in place to field more vehicles. A larger dedicated shop space opened on campus, giving students the space and tools they need to consistently work on cars. Additional meeting spaces were also secured, allowing more members to attend meetings and participate in activities.

“Now, we’ve gone from having two cars that had some problems running, to three cars that run really well,” Lucas said. “The goal for us is to have more competition-bound vehicles. This one is going to New York; we’ve taken one to Maryland, and two years ago we took one to two competitions.”

Lucas remembers well the late nights he spent in the shop, working long hours alongside his peers to solve a multitude of problems a vehicle faced. Seeing the current cohort of students putting in the same effort is a source of pride for Lucas.

“It’s touching to see this because I was a student member of Bullet Racing,” Lucas said. “These students are my passion; these groups are my passion. Watching them do what they do and being involved is like my dream job. To be able to be a part of that, I can’t really put it into words. Competition students are a different breed of engineer. They absolutely work the hardest, and they know what they need to improve on, so being around that environment all the time has helped me want to push myself professionally so that I can be better for them.”

New cars show speedy rise of programs

Cowboy Racing utilizes racecars adept at handling extreme terrain, competing in the international Society of Automotive Engineers Baja division.

Kyle and Carson McKinney, a senior and a sophomore, respectively, are brothers who work alongside their peers at Cowboy Racing.

Kyle, who graduates in fall 2026, is the current president of the organization. He said the new vehicle unveiled is a two-wheel drive off-roader. The team had worked for the past few years on four-wheel drive cars based on the competition requirements, which changed.

“They kind of went back on that rule this year to try to stimulate involvement for the competition,” Kyle McKinney said. “This one should be a lot faster and nimbler, and the overall finishes on this car are amazing. We really focused on attention to the small details, so a big focus this year is to not have anything unfinished.”

Kyle said the group accepts anyone, from those who do it for fun on the weekend to those who’ve never turned a wrench. Kyle said it was a great year in getting new members to join, including many freshman who can learn from the more experienced students.

Carson is one of the drivers of the Baja car, which he described as an amazing experience, something that he is thankful to take part in during his time at OSU.

“Being a driver, you’re more conscious of how the car acts beyond just the engineering principles,” Carson said. “You take those engineered principles, and you apply them to your driving so you can understand what you think will break first, why you think that will break and how to go a little easier on the car in certain situations. And of course, as a driver who’s put so many hours into it, you’re a little more careful, it’s your baby, and you don’t want to break the day.”

Carson helped design a new power-train system and hopes to achieve a higher top-end speed. The steering was also improved to make tight turns at speed more effectively.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing seeing this come together,” Carson said. “Just getting to see everyone from freshmen engineers to seniors, mentors, doing all the machining ourselves and prototyping. Getting a real hands-on feel is just an amazing feeling that I can’t get elsewhere.”

Bullet Racing gears up for competition in Michigan

Nick Napoliello, a senior and president of Bullet Racing, joked during the unveiling that each member of the team had spent every free second they had working on the car, even replacing an engine – the third during the school year – the night before the unveiling.

The dedication shown by these students, many of whom are freshmen joining the group for the first time, demonstrates how much passion and determination they share.

“It’s been an absolute honor to lead this great team,” Napoliello said. “We’ve had a lot of new members this year and a lot of freshmen. We definitely overcame a lot of obstacles compared to previous years, and we are all really proud of the product.

“It came together just as how we envisioned, and we all think it’s the prettiest car we’ve made to date and it has a lot of performance increases that we are excited to test out.”

The team had goals of making the car faster and lighter, achieving both, with a 12% increase in horsepower and an 8% weight reduction.

After unveiling the car, Bullet Racing took part in the 2026 SAE Michigan race. Twenty-eight members went to the competition, including eight freshmen, where they placed 53rd.  Bullet Racing finished in the top 10 for its drawing package, the first time in club history. The team was also recognized by more than 20 teams due to their social media presence.

Napoliello said the students worked to design the car with the goal of earning as many points as possible in the competition.

“In the past, we’ve built great cars, but this year we catered toward gaining competition points to move up in the standings,” Napoliello said. “So, we’re really excited to see how our efforts pan out.”

Competitions lead to careers 

Bullet Racing and Cowboy Racing are continuing to make a name for themselves and OSU in SAE competitions. These competitions are where the rubber meets the road for students, showing how their work can pay off.

The experience gained through competitions is invaluable, as it is a chance to have their work critiqued by professional engineers in the automotive industry.

“They then used this feedback to tailor their design to create something that’s landed in the real world,” Lucas said.

Alumni of these teams have found jobs at places like Michelin, Cummins and John Deere. This is the result of the top-of-the-line engineers that are produced at OSU.

Students gain experience with business elements such as reports, proposals and quotes, which they then turn into a designed vehicle. These clubs bring these elements together with engineering principles, resulting in an environment unlike other student organizations.

“You can’t get that at another kind of club,” Lucas said. “Maybe in a professional society, but not a club. This is the premier. This is what’s going to take you and separate you from your classmates.

“When a member of one of these teams goes to an interview and says they are on the Baja SAE team at Oklahoma State, the reputation precedes them. They know exactly who you are, what kind of engineer you are, and they want to hire you.”

These teams represent the gritty determination of CEAT students as they lead with integrity in something that is not easy and rife with challenges, answering the call of the Cowboy Code.

CEAT competition teams