In this work, a pedagogical activity that applies a student-centered approach to teaching the theory of machines and mechanisms is presented. To support this methodology, the Race Party project is utilized, in which student teams design and build a minicar able to run five meters on a horizontal plane as fast as possible. This project provides a coherent progression from fundamental principles to hands-on application and effectively covers the main topics related to the science of machines and mechanisms. Within the objectives of the Race Party, students explore key concepts such as types of motion, degrees of freedom, kinematic constraints, free-body diagrams, and equations of motion. Furthermore, students also develop computational models and apply appropriate manufacturing and assembly techniques, which are relevant to their technical growth. Additionally, the project fosters important soft skills, including creativity, teamwork, leadership, communication, and interaction with sponsors and partners. This structured workflow helps students link theoretical principles to practical engineering decision-making. The study focuses on the implementation of the Race Party project at the University of Minho, enabling an assessment of its impact on the teaching-learning process in an undergraduate course on dynamics of machinery. Overall, the collected outcomes show that the Race Party is an effective strategy for engaging students in the field of machine and mechanism science.