Buggy (also called Sweepstakes) is a race held annually since 1920 at Carnegie Mellon. Teams of five athletes (the pushers) push a non-motorized vehicle (a buggy) containing a driver around a 0.84 mile course in a relay format where the vehicle serves as the baton. Roughly half of the course is uphill, during which the pushers run and shove the buggy uphill. During the other – downhill – half, drivers are on their own to navigate tight turns at speeds of up to 35 mph (56 kph).

There are two locations that people love to go to watch buggy races. Both locations have Jumbotrons so you can see what’s happening all over the course!

The first location is the “Chute” (Google Maps link): this section at the bottom of Flagstaff Hill at the intersection of Frew St and Schenley Dr is exciting because buggies are going top speed and must navigate a tight right-hand turn.

The second location is the “Top of the Hill” (Google Maps link): this section at the intersection of Tech St, Frew St, and Schenley Dr near the Hall of Arts is a great place to see multiple parts of the race. From here you can see the buggies being pushed up Hill 1, over the crest of Hill 2, and beginning the freeroll. About two minutes later, you’ll see the same buggies cross the finish line.

You can learn more about the course by reading this page or watching this video.

There are several folks around the course in hi-vis safety vests. These are our course marshals, and they’ll be able to help you stay safe around the course. You can also visit the Buggy Alumni Association tent near the finish line or talk to Buggy Alumni Association representatives around the course, who are wearing red jackets with the BAA logo. Finally, there is a live broadcast on two Jumbotrons (at the Top of the Hill and in the Chute) where commentators provide information about what’s happening around the course.

Please don’t stop students who are actively participating in the races to ask them questions! They’ve worked hard all year and are laser-focused on keeping their teams safe and going as fast as they can. Please utilize course marshals, BAA members, cmubuggy.org, and the live broadcast to get more information.

You’ll notice many trucks and tents by the starting line. It is important that you do not enter these trucks or tents and that you stay clear of their entrances so that students can come and go without delays. Each team has their own truck or tent, and this is where they prepare the buggies and their drivers for races. This preparation includes loading the driver into the buggy (see an example of driver loading here), making sure the driver’s safety systems are all functional (learn more about these safety systems here), heating and attaching the wheels, and sealing the driver into the buggy by attaching the front and back hatches.

Students have worked hard all year to polish exactly-timed routines for getting their buggies out to the starting line, and bumping into curious onlookers is dangerous to the driver inside the buggy as well as stressful for the students trying to make it to the starting line on time. Please stay clear of the truck and tent entrances!

Many drivers have expressed that spectators filming or photographing them getting into and out of their buggies makes them uncomfortable. Furthermore, buggy is traditionally a sport full of secrecy. This is particularly noticeable when it comes to how teams design and build their vehicles. Each team has spent years or even decades perfecting their designs. Some teams fiercely protect these designs because they don’t want to give away any information that may give other teams an advantage. Inside trucks and tents, these designs are on full display as teams prepare their buggies to go out on the course. Taking photos and videos inside trucks and tents is frowned upon in buggy culture, and we ask that observers respect this unless invited to take photos.

Outside the trucks and tents, photos are absolutely fine, and the Buggy Alumni Association maintains a gallery of photos from past practices and racedays provided by fans just like you!

Get around the course the fastest in your division without making any mistakes resulting in disqualification, and you’ll win the division! The top 6 teams in the men’s and women’s divisions receive trophies. The top 3 teams in the all gender division receive trophies. Additionally, the fastest Hill 1 pushers in each of these divisions receive Blinn/Brewer King of the Hill, the Queen of the Hill, and the Monarch of the Hill awards, respectively.

Apart from the racing awards, teams prepare for the annual Design Competition. This competition happens before the first day of races and allows teams to present their innovations to a panel of qualified judges. The top 3 buggy designs receive a trophy and a monetary prize.

There are 4 other major awards presented each year: the Anne Witchner Chairman’s Choice Award, the Tom Wood Spirit of Buggy Award, the T-Shirt Award, and the Chairperson of the Year Award. These award recipients showcase the values held by the CMU Buggy community both on and off the course.

All racing buggies are required to pass a “Drops Test”, and this is what you see on Hill 1 after buggies cross the finish line. The buggy is released from rest facing downhill toward the start lines. The buggy must roll freely down the sidewalk for 30 feet before the driver is signaled to brake. The buggy must stop with its nose less than 15 feet past the brake line. The driver is then told to release and reapply the brakes. If a buggy does not stop within the allotted 15 feet, or is unable to brake the second time, the team is disqualified. This test is to discourage teams from rolling buggies without functional braking systems on Raceday. To learn more about how this rule came to be, check out the 100 Years of Buggy series.

There are many different ways for teams to get disqualified, and most of them are related to maintaining course safety and preventing interference. Some of the most common ways are:

• Causing a collision (Contact DQ)
• Racing an unsafe buggy (Drops DQ)
• Violating fire and safety regulations in trucks and tents (Spot Safety DQ)
• Having anyone except the pusher and driver at the starting line when the countdown hits 5 seconds (5 Second DQ)
• Violating transition zones (Transition DQ)
• Having a piece of the buggy fall off while the buggy is racing (Loss of Mass DQ)
• Failing to stay in your lane on the Front Hills (Lane DQ)
• Failing to touch the pushbar as the buggy crosses the finish line (Pushbar DQ)
• Having a pusher on the roster who’s not registered properly (Roster DQ)

Some of these disqualifications are highly contentious, so we encourage you to engage with spectators around you to learn more about the rich history of buggy!

Building buggies is both an art and a science, and teams tend to keep their methods a secret! However, there is some general information available. The two standard types of buggies on the course are standard/forward trikes and reverse trikes. To learn more about why teams may choose either of these designs, check out this page. For an overview of one team’s open build process, check out this video. For a detailed write-up and instructions for an open design, check out The Essential Build Book.

Teams do their best to keep Raceday as safe as possible and have developed many preventative measures. However, situations arise where a buggy may stop on the course for a variety of reasons. Sometimes a buggy spins in the Chute because it took the turn too sharply. Other times a trailing buggy may attempt to pass a leading buggy, which results in contact between the two buggies.

The highest priority in situations like these is the safety of the driver(s). If there’s time, personnel on the course will use flags to signal oncoming buggies to stop so that they don’t run into stopped buggies or other hazards. Passengers in the lead and follow trucks carry “extraction kits”, which contain the necessary tools to get the driver out of the buggy. The crash or stop is attended to by Carnegie Mellon Emergency Medical Services, who are the very first people on the scene to care for the driver. Team leaders receive training on what to do in these situations to prevent further harm to drivers.

In addition to these emergent measures, there are many standard safety measures in place to protect the drivers in the event of a crash. Drivers are required to wear helmets, mouthguards, gloves, and goggles. Some drivers also use chinpads to protect them from the hard shell of the buggy. Most drivers wear long sleeves, pants, and socks to protect from abrasions inside the buggy. In addition, every buggy must have a harnessing system that is approved by the Safety Chairman. The harness system is intended to prevent the driver from sliding around within the buggy while navigating the course as well as provide restraint in case of a crash.

Prior to ever racing a buggy at Raceday, there are four additional safety measures in place. Each buggy/driver combination must pass a Capabilities Test, or “Cape”, before ever rolling at practice. Every morning before practice, buggy/driver combinations must pass a Drops Test, which verifies that their brakes are working as intended. They also need to pass this test after each race. In order for a buggy/driver combination to race on Raceday, the driver must have completed a minimum number of rolls in that buggy as well as a pass test. Finally, the morning of the races, drivers will walk the course with all the other drivers they’re racing against to discuss their lines and any potential safety concerns.