The Student Remote-Controlled (S-RC) Cup event held at Sheffield Hallam University was a full-day motorsport competition for school teams, built to mirror a real race weekend. Each team brought their own car and competed across a structured format including free practice, qualifying, a head-to-head shootout, and multiple race sessions.
The event featured a purpose-built 61 metre track including corners and straights named after Sheffield Hallam University landmarks. The day saw teams working from pit areas, making adjustments between sessions, and managing strategy across the event. Points were awarded throughout, contributing towards progression to the national final.
Pete Hewage, Founder and CEO of the S-RC Cup, said: “We are excited to bring the S-RC Cup to Sheffield Hallam University, for our first ever race in the North. This event represents the first points-scoring round of a championship aimed at giving young people a realistic experience of the motorsport and the STEM sector.”
Dr Peter Weston, Associate Head, School of Engineering and Built Environment at Sheffield Hallam, said: “It was inspiring to witness the enthusiasm and knowledge of the school students who competed in the S-RC Cup, hopefully it will inspire some of them to consider a potential future career in STEM. Our brilliant SHU Racing Team Principal, Dan Choudhury, delivered an engaging talk explaining how the team design and build an F1-style car.”
The S-RC Cup Grand Prix was won by Velocity Vortex from Lawrence Sheriff School.
Matt Parsons, Teacher of Engineering and DT, Lawrence Sheriff School, said: “Thank you for such a great day, we all had an amazing time. It was a superb day to be a part of, and we were delighted to have won first and third prize. The excitement built through the day, and this was due to the amazing staff and professional set up. We can't wait to attend the next round. The Lawrence Sheriff pupils are fired up and ready to make modifications to their cars to ensure they keep in pole position.”
The event also featured a tour from Sheffield Hallam's Formula Student Racing Team; SHU Racing, who recently placed 5th in the UK at Formula Student, one of the largest student engineering events in Europe.
Staff from the Student Recruitment and Engagement Team and student ambassadors from Sheffield Hallam University supported on the day.
