Six students from Southern Regional College have achieved outstanding success at the STEM Racing Car UK Finals, securing the Northern Ireland Champions National Cup and the opportunity to compete on the global stage this October at the Aramco STEM World Finals in Singapore.
The UK Finals took place at the Magna Science Adventure Centre in Rotherham, England, from 24–26 March 2026, bringing together the top student engineering teams from across the UK.
The winning team comprises of students Chloe O’Hare (18) from Hilltown, Sophie Houston (18) from Dromore, Ellie Magee (20) from Warrenpoint, Harry Danks (18) from Kilkeel, Shea Smith (19) from Newry, and James McMullen (18) from Armagh. Each student took on specialist role within their racing team (SCAR), designing, building and racing a miniature Formula 1 car from concept to the racetrack.
STEM Racing is the world’s largest STEM competition, backed by Formula One, and widely recognised as a key talent pipeline for the motorsport and engineering industries. The global final is scheduled to take place the weekend before the Formula One Singapore grand prix.
To lift the Northern Ireland National Cup, students began work last September, and over several months, have learnt a wealth of new skills outside the curriculum of their Engineering Level 3 Extended Diploma, which they undertake at the College’s Newry campus.
This saw students covering new software, brainstorming ideas and gaining proficiency in Computational Fluid Dynamics, Finite Element Analysis, Computer Aided Manufacturing platforms, project management scheduling tools, financial forecasting, budgeting and communication skills. Their ability to secure sponsorship was instrumental in funding their journey to both the UK Finals and the upcoming World Finals in Singapore.
Supporting these young Champions, were sponsors Re-Gen, Used Cars NI, Murray Motorsport, The Exact Group, SMD Methods, MatLab, Ansys Simulation Software, Precision Mechanical Estimating, Southern Regional College, and Stem Racing UK.
Leading the team and speaking on their success, engineering lecturer Seán MacDiarmada commented:
“The Champions of NI Cup is reflective of the effort students have put in, remaining to late hours in the College on a number of evenings to develop their entry. The qualification to compete in Singapore is a once in a lifetime opportunity, putting them in the spotlight amongst the most promising young engineers in the world with Formula One team talent spotters scrutinising and judging their work. This puts them in poll position to be recruited into positions and careers that exist at the pinnacle of engineering.”
Mrs Lee Campbell, Principal & Chief Executive of Southern Regional College commented:
“This is an extraordinary accomplishment for our students and a proud moment for the College. Their success reflects not only their talent and determination, but also the strength of STEM education and industry collaboration at Southern Regional College.
We are incredibly proud of Team SCAR and look forward to supporting them as they represent Northern Ireland on the world stage in Singapore. They are outstanding ambassadors for the College and an inspiration to future students considering careers in engineering and innovation.”