South Wales STEM Racing Regional Finals 2026: A Celebration of Innovation and Teamwork

On 25th February, EESW STEM Cymru was proud to host the South Wales STEM Racing Regional Finals at the outstanding St Fagans National Museum of History.

The event brought together more than 250 pupils from across the region for a day of high-quality competition, collaboration and celebration of engineering talent.

This year’s regional finals welcomed:

• 23 Entry Class teams
• 18 Development Class teams
• 10 Professional Class teams

With a fantastic 51 teams competing overall, the venue was filled with energy, creativity and months of hard work brought to life.

Engineering Talent on Display

Teams arrived ready to showcase their miniature race cars, portfolios, pit displays and presentation skills.  From aerodynamic design and precision manufacturing to branding and project management, pupils demonstrated an impressive range of technical and employability skills.

Races were closely contested, with some decided by fractions of a second, while judges were highly complimentary about the professionalism and innovation shown across all three classes.  The standard of competition continues to rise year on year, reflecting the dedication of both students and schools to STEM Racing in Wales.

Thank You to Our Schools, Teachers and Judges

At EESW STEM Cymru, we recognise that events like this are only possible thanks to the commitment of our education and industry partners.

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to:

• Teachers and school staff, whose support, enthusiasm and countless hours of mentoring empower young people to take part and succeed.
• Volunteer judges and industry professionals, who generously gave their time to assess the teams and provide constructive, inspiring feedback.

Your contribution plays an essential role in delivering meaningful, real-world STEM experiences to young people across South Wales.

 Inspiring the Next Generation

The South Wales STEM Racing Regional Finals continue to showcase the incredible potential of young engineers across the region.  Beyond the trophies and race times, the event highlights teamwork, resilience, creativity and problem-solving — skills that are vital for the future workforce in Wales.

Congratulations to every pupil who took part.  We look forward to supporting our advancing teams in the next stage of the competition and continuing to inspire the next generation through STEM.  Progressing to the National Competition can bring extra costs, if any of our industry partners would be willing to help with sponsorship, please contact info@stemcymru.co.uk and we’ll put you in touch with the teams.

Award Winners

Entry Class

• Overall Regional Champions: Pheonix – Ysgol Gwent Is Coed
• 2^nd Place: Tunelli – Ysgol Y Strade
• 3^rd Place: Ace Racing – Caldicot School, Caldicot
• Fastest Car: 1.521 seconds Pheonix – Ysgol Gwent Is Coed
• Best Engineered Car: Tunelli – Ysgol Y Strade

 

Development Class

• Overall Regional Champions: Aetherion – St Johns College, Cardiff
• 2^nd Place: Smooth Operators – Caldicot School, Caldicot
• 3^rd Place: Eclipse Racing – Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf
  • Fastest Car: 1.44 seconds Vantage – Cardiff Sixth Form College, Cardiff
  • Best Engineered Car: Aetherion – St Johns College, Cardiff

   

• Professional Class

• Overall Regional Champions: Silver Racing – St Johns College, Cardiff
• 2^nd Place: STEALTH – St Johns College, Cardiff
• 3^rd Place: Branwen – Ysgol Bro Edern
• Fastest Car: 1.209 seconds STEALTH – St Johns College, Cardiff
• Best Engineered Car: STEALTH – St Johns College, Cardiff

•  

  All Class Awards

  • Best Portfolio: Vantage – Cardiff Sixth Form College, Cardiff
  • Best Pit Display: Branwen – Ysgol Bro Edern
  • Verbal Presentation: Ace Racing – Caldicot School, Caldicot
  • Team Identity: Rychlo Racing – Pontarddulais School, Swansea
  • Sponsorship & Marketing: Dragon Air Racing – The College Merthyr
  • Research & Development: Tunelli – Ysgol y Strade
  • Judges’ Award: Tatws Teifi – Ysgol Bro Teifi
  • Lightning Reaction: 0.143 seconds Riptide – St Johns College, Cardiff

   

  For more information about STEM Racing and other programmes delivered by EESW STEM Cymru, please visit our website or get in touch with our team.

•