University of Wolverhampton Race team launch 2025 model

The student-powered team, based at the Telford Priorslee campus, offer real-life competitive opportunities for student mechanics and engineers of the future to experience the race-day environment.

The 2025 model is borne out of an exciting new collaboration with British manufacturer Revolution Race Cars. The fresh UWRacing Evolution 500 EVO was unveiled at Autosport International, Europe's largest motorsport show, at the NEC in Birmingham.

The Evolution 500 EVO will be driven by team manager and racing professional Shane Kelly in the Equipe Sports Prototypes series with 11 meetings between March and October. The students will be central to keeping the car in top condition.

Also included in the partnership will see Revolution work alongside the UWR staff and students for opportunities of hands-on experience at the manufacturer's factory in Peterborough.

The UWR team and Revolution Race Cars came into contact last season during a chance encounter at Belgium's renowned Spa-Francorchamps circuit.

Driver Kelly said: “We’ve already hit the ground running in preparing for the new season which we are looking forward to. 

“It will be a learning curve and I’m very excited to drive the car.  

“The partnership with Revolution is an important one as one thing we strive for is having access to the latest technology, for example, traction control and power steering.  

“These are technologies in Formula One already. Whether students are striving to get into F1 or GT Championships, having access to state-of-the-art equipment can only be good for their development.  

“The equipment and expertise our race team have will be beneficial for Revolution for them to tap into and use our students for design and machine shop work.”

The Birmingham motorsport show also offered guests a first glimpse of UWR's other newest model as the team venture into a new racing series.

The university's WOLF RS Chassis is a new design and build programme in which a racing chassis has been produced for multi-mode use.

The unveiling marked the start of the single-seater project for hill-climb events. The car will then be re-engineered around to produce a circuit-racing single-seater.

Revolution Race Cars managing director Nigel Redwood said: “Our relationship with UWR started in early-summer last year at Spa-Francorchamps when we shared a garage at a race weekend.  

“We got to see how UWR operate as a race team and we were very impressed with their work ethic and what students were shown to help them develop. 

“We’re keen to work with the university on prototype projects which will benefit students. We’ll also be at race weekends supporting UWR with spare parts and provide technical support and continue to make sure we have a two-way relationship. 

“We’re looking forward to working with Shane and seeing how the students grow and develop throughout the year working at our factory but also on race weekends too.”