News & Events

Motorsports Engineering Degree Approved at IUPUI
IUPUI’s unique new program will be offered in the fall of 2008

INDIANAPOLIS- The Indiana Commission for Higher Education has approved a bachelor’s degree program in Motorsports Engineering at the Purdue School of Engineering and Technology at Indiana University- Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI).

The program, which had previously been approved by the Purdue University board of trustees, is now set to be offered to students beginning in the fall of 2008.

“We are thrilled to be the first university in the country to offer a bachelor’s degree in motorsports engineering. This will allow our students to compete for jobs in this exciting industry like never before,” stated H. Öner Yurtseven, PhD, dean of the Purdue School of Engineering and Technology at IUPUI.

The program, which aims to prepare graduates for careers with automotive-related companies, will focus on teaching fundamentals of engineering from a practical viewpoint. Projects will involve designing, analyzing and building of actual systems.

“Engineering schools train graduates for careers in everything from aerospace to manufacturing,” says IUPUI Motorsports Director, Pete Hylton.  “It has been only recently that we have begun to realize that motorsports is a huge industry in this country, and one that is growing rapidly in technology and in financial investment.  It only makes sense that we should be training graduates for this industry as well.  With a location in Indianapolis, IUPUI is well suited to be one of the leaders in this new field.”

“For Indiana to be able to maximize the potential for its motorsports industry it must have an energetic and qualified workforce, properly trained and ready to be productive from the start. Having a Motorsports Engineering Degree program will give Indiana a distinct advantage in attracting new quality businesses,” added Rollie Helmling, director of Motorsports for the Indiana Economic Development Corporation.

Enrollment for the new program is projected at 21 students over the first years and is expected to increase to 106 students by the fourth year.

In addition to expanding the program through enrollment, the university plans to grow the program by developing 11 new courses for the curriculum in the first three years and adding two new full-time faculty positions, as well as a full-time technician.

The Motorsports Engineering program was developed by Purdue faculty in the mechanical engineering, engineering technology, and electrical and computer engineering programs at IUPUI.

The program is designed to augment an existing program on the campus. The Engineering Technology Department currently offers a Motorsports Technology Certificate program, in which more than 30 students are enrolled. This certificate program will still be available in addition to the bachelor’s degree program.

IUPUI  Motorsports Team Wins Purdue Grand Prix

The two IUPUI Motorsports Club entries stunned the thirty-one West Lafayette campus entries in the 51st running of the Purdue Grand Prix on April 19, 2008.  Jon Laski, an IUPUI Mechanical Engineering Technology major, led much of the race on his way to winning the race.  Lynsey Tilton, another MET major, was running a solid third until a serious crash on the next to last lap.  On the verge of giving IUPUI a first and third finish, Tilton suddenly encountered a spinning kart on lap 158 of 160, crashing into the other kart while traveling at full speed.  The race was red flagged so that medical personnel could get to Tilton, who was transported to Lafayette’s St. Elizabeth Hospital, before being released Saturday night.

Laski, who started in eighth position, assumed the lead a few laps after the start and then traded the top spot with the pole-sitting Hillenbrand Hall kart for much of the race.  When the Hillenbrand kart was black-flagged as a result of a rollcage that had come loose late in the race, Laski assumed a dominant lead in the event.  He maintained a steady pace, giving IUPUI its first ever win in the Purdue Grand Prix.

Tilton had to start a distant twenty-second after a poor qualifying time, attributed to the fact that she qualified nearly last, drawing a qualification position that forced her  to run in the cold and darkness of last Monday evening.  Turning race laps equal to Laski’s times, she charged through the field and had joined the top five by the half-way point.  She was briefly as high as second during pit stops, and for the final portion of the race was a solid third.  The crash, which took away IUPUI’s chance for a double-podium finish, was the most serious of the month, and it required 15 minutes to remove Tilton from her kart and secure her to a back-board for transport to the hospital.  Fortunately no serious injuries were detected.

The karts were both entered by the IUPUI Motorsports Club and all crew members were IUPUI students, most of them pursuing either the IUPUI Motorsports Technology Certificate or the new Motorsports Engineering bachelors degree.   Team members included the two crew chiefs, Herb Payton and Todd Wilson, and crew members Chris Proctor, Justin Penix, Casey Andis, Edgar Torres, Caitlin Siem, Brandon Hess, Kyle Doran, Eric Shirar, Brittney Redleman, and Nick Hawes. 

For more information on the IUPUI Motorsports program, contact IUPUI Motorsports Director, Pete Hylton, 317-274-7192, or phylton@iupui.edu.