In the beginning, it’s the rev of engines cutting through the evening air. But as the crowd grows, the sound of people takes over. The cars are now overpowered by the chatter of growing laughter, conversation and connections forming.
Now in its sixth year, Cars and Comets has grown into one of the largest student-led events at UTD. Hosted by Dallas Formula Racing, the meet draws together hundreds of students, alumni and car enthusiasts from across Dallas-Fort Worth. Beyond the cars, organizers say the event stands out because of the people it brings together.
At a school known for its commuter culture, building connections can present a challenge. Many students come to campus solely for class and leave immediately after, leaving little room for any interaction beyond the classroom. Events like Cars and Comets push against that norm and create a reason to stay and build lasting relationships outside of class.
“I think it’s a really good way to bring people together,” said Anastasia Garel, the events and logistics lead for Dallas Formula Racing. “Even me going last year, I knew people on the team, but there were so many others I had never met.”
Around the array of shining sports cars, students stop to talk and share their own personal stories, relating to each other even with different experiences. Strangers become familiar faces through a single conversation sparked by a shared interest.
“You have people that bring their cars and then people that just come to spectate,” Garel said. “And suddenly they’re all talking like, ‘Did you see this?’ and it just brings everyone together.”
For many students and attendees, Cars and Comets becomes one of the few times they can feel immersed in campus life. Instead of just passing each other between classes, they intentionally gather and create a welcoming space to explore their interests.
The impact is especially significant at UTD, where car culture is already embedded into daily life. As a commuter school, many students bring their cars to campus, turning parking lots into unexpected showcases. Cars become a way to showcase identity and personality and this event is the place to voice it out loud.
“It’s not very surprising when you see a Mustang rolling down campus,” said Aashish Kambala, the president of Dallas Formula Racing. “That’s just part of the environment here.”
“This is our sixth year doing Cars and Comets and most of the cars that enter are UTD students or alumni,” Kambala said. “It’s a great way to connect the car groups in DFW with what we have here on campus.”
But the event’s impact goes beyond UTD’s car culture. For Dallas Formula Racing, Cars and Comets reflects a broader mission — centered around the people, not just the machines. With members from over 30 majors, they operate as a multidisciplinary team toward a shared goal. Behind building race cars and competing at a high level throughout the country, the organization’s deeper purpose lies in growth and creating a sense of belonging.
“We’re not just building cars — we’re building people,” said Kambala. “At the end of the day, it’s about the community you create and the people you meet.”
For content creators like Danish Saeed, both a UTD student and car influencer behind the channel Supercarscreams, that openness is what best defines car culture. His content, which has reached millions online, is centered around shared enthusiasm rather than expertise.
“The goal was just to spread our passion,” Saeed said. “At the end of the day, it’s about having fun with cars and sharing that with other people.”
Near the side of the lot, Saeed stood beside his well-loved but quick Miata, surrounded by a loud, growing crowd. Rather than keeping his car at a distance, he welcomed people in, inviting strangers to jump into the driver’s seat, ask questions about the specs and experience his car firsthand. By the time the crowd thinned, he was still there, mid-conversation, promising to see many of them again around campus.
Cars and Comets isn’t about exclusivity or competition, rather it’s about the shared experience. Whether someone brings a modified build, a daily driver or no car at all, they are still part of that experience. Despite the display of supercars and expert knowledge heard in snippets of conversation, Cars and Comets remains accessible.
“It’s very unserious,” Danish said. “We don’t take ourselves too seriously — and I think that’s how it should be.”
The combination of structure and planning with spontaneity and energy is the balance that makes the event even more meaningful. It brings people together from different majors, backgrounds and interests, all through something as simple as a shared passion for cars.
By the end of the event, the cars are still there, lined up under the bright lights. But what lingers after, is the conversations, where, for a few hours, a commuter campus felt connected. Because at UTD, Cars and Comets isn’t about what people drive — it’s about what brings them together.
