To set the scene, its 4:30 a.m., and daybreak is hours away. As you walk along the deserted Embry-Riddle campus toward the Mechanical lab, you see a faint light coming from the ERAU Motorsports lab in the back corner.
A handful of students are bustling around, talking and grabbing small items before breaking off and heading to their respective cars.
But where are they going at 4:30 in the morning?
The American Muscle Car Museum, a collection of over 400 cars ranging from classic 1950s to modern-era muscle in Melbourne, Florida. Why? For the reveal of their 2025 Formula SAE competition car, ER-09.
As day breaks, students begin to roll into the museum parking lot. But they aren’t alone, as hundreds of classic muscle cars pull in behind them. What’s going on?
ERAU Motorsports isn’t the only organization here on this fourth Saturday in March. The Antique Auto Club of Cape Canaveral is also there holding its 2025 Celebration of Cars.
The team sets up its tent display and wraps up the final touches to ER-09. With some time to spare before the official start of the car show, students explore, snap photos and speak one-on-one with some of the early attendees.
“This the first time we have done a car reveal since ER-04, which was over five years ago, so it’s a pretty big deal, especially since everyone who had a hand in building that car has graduated by now and a new generation of ERAU Motorsports has come in,” shares Jamie Horgos, the team’s president. “It’s seriously a special moment, and I genuinely could not be prouder of this team. We went from building barely running cars that were done in late April when I was a freshman to a fully running car by February 23. It’s absolutely incredible.”
Five hours after arrival, the moment finally comes. Jamie hustles over to the DJ booth and hops on the mic.
As he speaks about the team, its goals, its sponsors and the significance of FSAE, the team leaders of ERAU Motorsports, alongside Mark Pieloch, owner of the American Muscle Car Museum, line up under the tent. Before long, the area is surrounded, and onlookers begin to whisper in anticipation.
“Please remove the tarp!” Jamie calls out.
With those four words, two members step forward, each grabbing a corner of the black sheet, pulling it back to reveal ER-09.
Cheers and applause erupt from students and onlookers as ER-09 stands on display for the first time ever.
As Jamie returns to the tent, guests surge forward, snapping photos, talking with students and congratulating them on their achievement.
“After the reveal, it’s a weird feeling,” laughs Jamie. “Usually, this is the time when it’s most hectic and everyone is scrambling around. Now we’re perfecting the car, testing every other night and preparing for every single event at competition. The car reveal was fantastic, and it could not have gone much better. But a lot of us won’t be happy until we hit our top-10 goal [at competition].”
The team’s next stage? Our very own Grassroots Motorsports $2000 Challenge Presented by Tire Rack and Powered by AutoBidMaster.
That’s right, this weekend, ERAU Motorsports as well as Bull Racing–the FSAE team from University of South Florida–will be attending the $2000 Challenge with their 2025 vehicles.
Have questions for the teams? Well, now is your chance to meet the students and get firsthand answers.
Car reveal plus the car show? The American Muscle Car Museum was the place to be last Saturday.
USF Racing is coming? Awesome. Been trying to get those guys to the Challenge off and on for a couple years
Is the UF SAE team coming? It would be sad and a big missed opportunity if not.
In reply to dyintorace :
I don't believe they are, sadly. With the timing of the Challenge, some schools have completed their cars, while others haven't just yet. I do think they are having their car reveal on April 18 though.
In reply to Mr_Asa :
Yep, and they are bringing last year's competition car as well as their 2025 car!
In reply to Paris Van Gorder :
Bummer. Maybe after they see that other schools from further away show up will prompt them to alter their annual build calendar to they can be ready in time. Such a missed opportunity for a local team.
In reply to dyintorace :
Yeah, it's a bummer, but I get it. Plus, UF has an electric FSAE team, not an internal combustion one. So their rule set and competition timeline are different from the other schools in Florida, hence the different build calendar.
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