Our Crowdfunding Groups
Terps Racing is an organization of about 100 students that design, build, test, and race a formula-style and baja-style racecar in collegiate design competitions each year. These competitions are all over the country and the cars have to be towed in a trailer to these locations to allow the team’s hard work to pay off. The 1996 Chevrolet Suburban that tows the trailer for these cars is in bad shape and is older than some of the members in the club. Since we expect this vehicle to last at least twenty years, your contribution will play a pivotal role in leaving a decades-long legacy at Terps Racing.
Terps Racing was founded in 1982 to establish the University of Maryland as a presence at Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Collegiate Design Competitions all over the country. SAE racing is a unique student activity that allows students develop engineering skills in a real-world atmosphere as they work on a team to fully design, build, and race a new car each school year. Our first priority is education - Terps Racing truly prepares engineers for the industry of their choice. Check out our YouTube channel to hear from current and past members about why we love this club and why we need a new truck. Feel free to check out our social media accounts as well; the Terps Racing Facebook page and our Twitter and Instagram accounts!
The ‘Burb has over 150,000 miles, most of which have been spent towing a fully loaded trailer. After 19 years of use, we have been running into reliability issues. We tow our cars on short trips to UMD’s Lot 1 to gather testing data, longer trips to our large sponsors and community events, and around 2500 miles to each team’s competition each year. Many years of towing abuse have led to this point: we really need a new tow vehicle for reliability, functionality, and team image. After spending a year stressing about mechanical design, fabrication, and organization, our members should not have to stress out about an unreliable mode of transportation.
In addition to reliability, practicality is another key issue: both the Baja and Formula car cannot fit in the trailer at once. When we bring both cars to community events, such as the DC Auto Show, we have to make two trips or borrow a truck. A pickup truck with a long bed could accommodate both cars, enabling us to more easily show off our hard work to sponsors and the community. Finally, the chipped paint, steel wheels and incoming rust on our current vehicle portrays a poor image of Terps Racing. As representatives of the A. James Clark school of Engineering and of the Mechanical Engineering Department, it is important that we have a mode of transportation that matches our professional manner.
Hillview Motors in Greensburg, PA has agreed to supply us with a deal on a truck depending on how much money we raise. We anticipate a truck that fits our needs will cost approximately $35,000. We are looking for a used 2500 series truck that can tow upwards of 10,000 lbs, seat at least four people, and has a long bed that can fit one of our cars so that we can tow the other. We are also looking for something that is less than 6 years old with under 50,000 miles. We do not anticipate raising all of the money through this campaign but we do anticipate raising between $15,000- $25,000. We are hoping to come up with a solution involving our own budget, the Department of Mechanical Engineering, and the funds we raise from Launch UMD to purchase this truck around Winter Break.
All funds raised from Launch UMD will go towards buying a tow vehicle for Terps Racing. Having a new truck means that Terps Racing will be able to conduct testing more efficiently and have a safe and comfortable drive to our competitions. Any help is greatly appreciated and your support will not just support the racing legacy of Terps Racing for the next twenty years but will also showcase an investment in the next generation of engineering students at the University of Maryland.
Gifts in support of the University of Maryland are accepted and managed by the University of Maryland College Park Foundation, Inc., an affiliated 501(c)(3) organization authorized by the Board of Regents. Contributions to the University of Maryland are tax deductible as allowed by law. Please see your tax advisor for details.
Your name will be featured on the Terps Racing website.
You will receive a Terps Racing t-shirt in a size of your choice. This perk has a fair market value of $9.
You will receive a Terps Racing t-shirt as well as your choice of a Terps Racing polo or hoodie. This perk has a fair market value of $30.
You or your company will receive a small decal of your name or logo on the truck, a shout-out from the Terps Racing Facebook account, and all of the benefits of the Shake & Bake perk (Terps Racing t-shirt and polo or hoodie) The fair market value of this perk is $30.
In addition to the Speed Racer level (small decal, Facebook shout-out, apparel), you or your company will receive a driving experience for two people in our Baja car. The fair market value for this perk is $30.
You or your company will receive a driving experience for four people in the formula car, a large decal on the new truck, a video shout-out on Terps Racing's social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram), and a thank-you package consisting of a plaque and signed team picture. This perk has a fair market value of $37.
You or your company will get the VIP Maryland Day Experience, which will consist of a photo op with the team, a facility tour, and time to meet with faculty advisors and student leaders. Maryland Day will occur April 2016. Furthermore, you or your company will get all of the perks from the Formula Driving Experience as well as a shout-out in the Department of Mechanical Engineering email newsletter (pending department approval), which reaches 5000+ alumni and friends of the department. The fair market value of this perk is $37.