INDIANAPOLIS — As preparations are made for the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500, Purdue University will have an outsized presence inside the garages at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Thanks to the university’s renowned mechanical and motorsports engineering programs in West Lafayette and Indianapolis, dozens of Boilermakers are powering teams in the 33-car field of this month’s race, such as current leader and defending IndyCar season team champion Chip Ganassi Racing, 20-time Indianapolis 500 champion Team Penske, Andretti Global, Arrow McLaren, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and many more. On the Ganassi team alone, 12 Purdue graduates play critical roles, including lead race engineer, simulation engineer, test engineer, and systems support engineer. At least one Purdue graduate will be in the garages of every single American-based IndyCar team.
“The unique motorsports program is a huge part of what makes Purdue engineering special,” said Eckhard Groll, the William E. and Florence E. Perry Head of Mechanical Engineering and Reilly Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Purdue. “We teach our students the fundamentals of engineering and then encourage them to take it to the absolute limit on the track, through real-world competitions and design projects.”
Purdue Motorsports will officially move into Dallara’s U.S. headquarters following a formal ceremony Saturday, May 24. The facility, which will house classrooms and laboratory space for Purdue faculty and students in the motorsports engineering program, is on Main Street in Speedway, just steps away from where “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” is held each year.
Created in 2008, the motorsports engineering program in Indianapolis is one of a kind in preparing Purdue students to pursue motorsports careers in the heart of the racing capital of the world. Boilermaker students build an all-encompassing understanding of vehicle dynamics, aerodynamics, systems engineering, performance engineering, and design, applying their proficiency to find real-world solutions. The curriculum is created with direct insight from industry professionals to assist in the development of the technical skills required by the industry.
More stories about Purdue’s legacy and involvement at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway are available here.
