As early as 1884, an innovator named Andrew Riker began experimenting with electric vehicles. In 1888, he formed the Riker Electric Motor Company, producing electric cars, trucks, vans and even trolleys. His company built some of the earliest electric race cars, including the famous Riker “Torpedo” racer, which set a world electric car speed record in 1901 – a record that stood for 10 years. In 1905, he co-founded the Society of Automotive Engineers (today known as SAE International) and was elected their first president. His vice president and co-founder was Henry Ford.
Fast forward to 2026 and students at the University of Michigan continue Riker’s legacy by participating in MRacing, the university’s Formula SAE (FSAE) racing team. FSAE is a program of SAE International. Every year, these students build an all-new electric race car from start to finish, then they compete with other collegiate teams in a series of events. As a team sponsor, Norton | Saint-Gobain helps the team speed across the finish line.
Participation Born of Passion
This year marks the 40-year anniversary of the University of Michigan’s FSAE team, and there’s no shortage of students interested in being part of the program. “This is a strictly volunteer, extracurricular activity for which students don’t earn any class credits,” said Stephen Speyer, Composites Manufacturing Lead on the Chassis & Aerodynamics sub-team for this year’s crew and a sophomore Mechanical Engineering major. “Still, we have about 60 active members who spend 20-30 hours a week in the shop working with each other and on the car.”
In addition to the Chassis & Aerodynamics sub-team, there are several other specialty areas where students can focus their attention. These include:
Team Leadership: Technical Director and Team Captain (positions elected by team members)
Business
Drivetrain
Powertrain
Suspension
Vehicle Software & Instrumentation
New team members are encouraged to explore multiple areas when they first join the team, then usually concentrate on one or maybe two as they progress through their university careers. Most team members come from the mechanical engineering or electrical engineering curriculums; however, this year’s team also has participants from economics, aerospace, data science, and general business. “Building a car from top to bottom requires a vast amount of knowledge,” Speyer added, “so we get students from many different disciplines across the university.”
“All of us are just huge motorsports fans and we want to work in the industry. It’s really cool to be surrounded by people that are super passionate about what we do. The whole concept is hands-on experience from design to manufacturing to actually seeing it all come together in a real competition.”
—Archer Gandhi, Sophomore, Air Cooling Lead on the Chassis & Aerodynamics sub-team
Getting the Details Right
Early on, the University of Michigan had separate teams for combustion engines and electric vehicles (EVs). In 2022, they merged the two to form MRacing and decided to concentrate on EVs. The work is meticulous, as each part must be designed, assessed, built, and fitted into the car. “We work with a lot of metals. Our suspension components are mostly steel, the powertrain is mostly electronics, several smaller parts are aluminum, and the monocoque (chassis) is fully carbon fiber,” Speyer explained. “It’s critical for us to understand how these surfaces work from a material science perspective. That’s where we rely on Norton products.”
The team uses several different Norton abrasive hand pads and Norton Premium Masking Tape. The abrasives are used for sanding both the component molds and the finished components to ensure the smoothest finish. Said Gandhi, “We’ll use grits from 180 up to about 1800 during various phases of production. The goal is to make sure there are no defects or imperfections on the surface so everything will perform the best it can. The hand pads let us work around all the contours of the parts for the best results.”
“We do a lot of wet sanding, and other abrasives get ‘gunked up’ really fast. If you don’t continuously wipe the pad, it just can’t sand anymore and leaves a mess on the surface. With Norton, the abrasives resist collecting the gunk and we can work longer with better results. That just makes us more efficient. Plus, the adhesive on back of the pads is much stronger and holds the pads in place on our sanding blocks much better.”
—Stephen Speyer, Sophomore, Composites Manufacturing Lead on the Chassis & Aerodynamics sub-team
Gandhi summarized, “One of the things I’ve heard from machinists in the industry is that engineers don’t understand how to design for manufacturability. As an engineer, this experience helps us learn how to design AND how to manufacture. What I gain from MRacing is application – taking the theory from the classroom and putting it to work. All those potential employers come to our events because they know FSAE students are disciplined, dedicated, and ready to work. Sponsors like Norton make that possible for us.”
On Track: a Surprising Norton Solution
Now you know. Students trying to maximize their college experience find Norton products useful in shaping both their creations and their careers. Let us know if you have a challenge that needs a Norton solution.