Welcome back!

As February kicks off, UTFR is back in the workshop, balancing a busy midterm season with ambitious plans for the car. While navigating midterms and project deadlines, excitement is high as new members dive into their first hands-on projects, while returning members share their skills and expertise.

With Reading Week just around the corner, the team is looking forward to some well deserved rest, and plenty of time in the shop to make progress on UT26. There’s a lot to catch up on and even more to look forward to. The team is ready for another productive month if you are!

In this edition: 

• Open House and Clubs Fair Recap

• Manufacturing Update

• Women in Motorsports Event Recap

• Pit Lane Perspectives with Business Director Caley McNeill

Let’s get started!

Open House and Clubs Fair Recap

This month, our team had a great time connecting with UofT students at the Open House and Clubs Fair, where we showcased our project and shared the work behind UTFR. The event brought together prospective members, current students, and team members for engaging conversations about our design process, manufacturing progress and the multidisciplinary effort involved in building our vehicle. It was exciting to meet so many students interested in engineering, motorsports, and innovation. Thank you to everyone who stopped by our booth, asked questions, and showed their support. We are looking forward to working with our new faces and continuing to grow our community in the coming months!

Manufacturing Update

Manufacturing is ramping up across the team as key systems reach major milestones.

On the electrical side, the low-voltage system has successfully completed its first power on test, marking a critical validation step, while testing and verification of the battery management system (BMS) are now underway.

In parallel, the mechanical team has assembled the first composite battery segment, which will house both the battery cells and the BMS. This was made possible with the support of Texonic. Additionally, the first stage of gear manufacturing is complete with the arrival of the sun and planet gear blanks, thanks to Ekos Precision Machining.

With these foundational components coming together, the car is beginning to transition from design to reality as manufacturing momentum continues to build.

Women in Motorsport Event Recap

On Thursday, February 5th, UTFR hosted our very own Women in Motorsports panel at Innis Town Hall, bringing together students and motorsport enthusiasts for an inspiring evening of conversation and insight. The event featured an incredible lineup of panelists; including Taylor Lamb (Damper Design Engineer at Multimatic), Jessica Trafford (Director of Motorsport Jess Media) and Grace Hughes (Radical SR3 Driver). Each speaker shared their unique journey into motorsports, offering honest perspectives on navigating a traditionally male dominated field, the challenges they’ve faced along the way, and the ways they continue to grow and thrive in their careers.

The discussion, led by UTFR’s very own women in motorsports; Clara Coukell (Accumulator Lead), and Zoe Jenkin (Senior Member, Aerodynamics), explored not only technical and professional pathways, but also the importance of resilience, mentorship, and looking ahead to what’s next for women in the industry. A huge thank you to our Events Lead Haylie Nguyen, for organizing the event, to our panelists for sharing their experiences, and to everyone who came out to listen, learn, and support. Your engagement made the night truly meaningful.

Pit Lane Perspectives: How Caley McNeill Manages the Chaos of UTFR

This issue, we sat down with UTFR’s Business Director, Caley McNeill. For Caley, an Industrial Engineering student, the team is about much more than just the technical specs of the car. It is really about the complex ecosystem of people, finances, and culture that makes the engineering possible.

His path to becoming Business Director wasn't exactly a straight line. After a brief stint with the team in his first year, he actually stepped away for a bit. It wasn't until he returned that he made a firm commitment to himself to simply "get things done."

Coming from a family of engineers, Caley initially wasn't sure where he fit in. It wasn't until he discovered Industrial Engineering, which he enthusiastically calls "the coolest discipline ever," that he found his lane. He looked up to past leaders like Daniel Wing, who prioritized execution above all else, and previous directors like Emily and Evan who built the team’s business infrastructure. Inspired by them, Caley stepped up to fill the gaps. He sees his role not just as a title, but as being the person who dips into every room to make sure things are moving, providing support wherever the team needs it most.

The Tesla Mindset

Caley recently spent a year as a Technical Program Manager intern at Tesla. That experience fundamentally altered his approach to work and lead. It wasn’t a typical internship of shadowing and busy work. It was a crash course in high-stakes execution where everyone was committed to making an impact.

"At Tesla, you aren't just there to learn. You are there to make an actual impact on the product," Caley explains. "The biggest takeaway was learning to trust your gut. People will always try to push their own agenda, so you have to do your own due diligence. Trust yourself more than you trust anyone else."

That intensity is something he brings to UTFR. He balances it with a keen understanding of the "big picture," a perspective he urges new members to adopt. His advice to first-years is simple. He tells them to be a sponge. "Go to everything you can and learn from everyone," he says. "You might feel annoying asking questions, but that’s the only way to understand how your small piece fits into the massive machine we’re building."

Culture First, Car Second

While the technical goal is speed, Caley believes the real engine of the team is its culture. Reflecting on previous seasons, he identified that the team’s strongest years were fuelled by genuine friendship rather than just professional obligation.

"I wanted to bring the idea that working together should be fun, not just a job," he says. "At the end of the day, we’re basically a friend group that happens to build a race car. That connection makes the hard work sustainable."

However, maintaining that culture requires navigating the hardest part of the job, which is people management. It is a challenge most people don't expect. For Caley, leadership is often about mediation. He has to adjust to different personalities and work styles to keep the peace.

"Everyone has an opinion for a reason," he notes. "Even if you think you're right, you can't just shut people down. You have to find the root of their perspective so you can move forward together. It’s about helping people learn from mistakes rather than just correcting them."

The Bottom Line

When asked about the biggest challenge for the rest of the year, Caley points to the difficult reality of limited resources. The team can't do everything it wants to do. They have to pick and choose, which sometimes means making sacrifices or cutting projects people have worked hard on.

"My main goal? Don't run out of money," he laughs. But beyond the balance sheet, his definition of success is grounded in reality. In a year of massive architectural changes and a complete redesign, he views the existence of the team as a victory in itself.

"I'm not just looking at the podium," he admits. "With the amount of change we’ve handled this year, simply having a running car is a massive achievement."

Outside of the shop, Caley finds balance in cooking, live music, and solo traveling. These are essential resets before he heads off to San Francisco after graduation. But for now, his focus is here, driven by the Japanese concept of Yarigai, something that is challenging and chaotic, but ultimately deeply worthwhile.

Get Involved

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Sponsors

UTFR’s success is made possible by our sponsors – they help us with parts, manufacturing support, design advice, and so much more.

Our 2025/26 sponsorship package is now live. To know more about our offerings and upcoming season events, please reply to this email and we will get back to you.

Recruits

Stay connected by checking the team’s Slack and Instagram for updates on section meetings, upcoming lectures, tasks, and ongoing team activities. This is the best place to stay informed as the season continues to ramp up.

Alumni

Know any UTFR Alumni who would like to keep in touch with our team’s journey? Fill out this form and learn more about our alumni offerings in the next edition.

We're always looking to improve and innovate, both on and off the track. Have any thoughts on this newsletter? Ideas for future content? We want to hear from you!

Reply to this email or connect with us on LinkedIn or Instagram. Your feedback could spark our next big idea or feature in an upcoming issue.

Happy Monday!