November 4th 2026

Team Penske launches new program to introduce students to motorsports opportunities

Team Penske may have recently created the next generation of motorsports personnel.

The organization welcomed 20 high school juniors and seniors to its Mooresville, North Carolina race shop last week for an event they called “Penske Pathways: Inside the Race to Success.” As they continue to celebrate their 60th anniversary, Team Penske created the program to introduce young adults to the different career opportunities in racing that aren't as often highlighted as being a public-facing driver or crew chief.

Penske, of course, fields entries in various series from NASCAR to sports cars to IndyCar.

The day included a full tour of the race shop, demonstrations, and the chance to interact with different employees. Austin Cindric, the driver of the No. 2 Ford in the NASCAR Cup Series, was also on hand to chat and share about his career.

"If there was a one-stop shop to learn about racing and the industry, I can't think of a better place to go than Team Penske,” said Cindric. “We have so many different walks of life in the shop, not just the people who work here, but the types of cars, the types of series, and the demands that are put on our employees, how they differ and how they're similar. You get a really good perspective of what it takes to perform at a high level as a unit, from the home base.

“I don't think there are too many places in racing where you'd be able to see that in one day."

The different sessions on the tour were:

NASCAR Operations & Assembly
- Students toured the NASCAR assembly area to learn how race cars are prepared, assembled, and maintained, including the processes and technology involved in preparing vehicles for competition and driver gear and safety.
Manufacturing & Machine Shop
- A behind-the-scenes look at the manufacturing processes and equipment used to produce specialized racing components, including additive and subtractive manufacturing techniques.
IndyCar Operations
- Students explored Team Penske's IndyCar operations, learning about vehicle construction, preparation, and the technical differences between racing disciplines. The session included an up-close look at the cars and their components.
Engineering, Strategy & Data
- Team Penske engineers and crew chiefs introduced students to the technical and analytical side of racing, including the role of data, strategy and decision-making in competition.
Athletic Department & Pit Stop Demonstrations
- Students met with members of Team Penske's athletic department and NASCAR pit crews to learn about athletic recruitment, physical training and preparation. Live pit stop demonstrations highlighted the precision, teamwork and athleticism required on pit road.
Roush Yates Engines
- Students participated in an engine-focused technical session covering engine operations, performance and telemetry, including a demonstration of the engine warm-up process.
Team Logistics & Operations
- Students learned about the coordination required to move race teams, equipment and personnel across a national racing schedule, including travel planning, transportation and race-weekend logistics.
Competition Management
- Team Penske competition leaders discussed the responsibilities involved in managing racing programs, overseeing personnel and coordinating the many departments required to compete at a high level.
Marketing, Communications & Business Operations
- Team Penske personnel introduced students to the business side of motorsports, including public relations, partnership marketing and licensing.
Career Development Discussions
- Students heard directly from team members representing a variety of departments about their professional backgrounds, career paths, and advice for pursuing opportunities in motorsports.

"It's really exciting to see the next generation,” said Michael Nelson, president of the Team Penske NASCAR operation. “People who are going to be part of this organization, hopefully, in the years to come, and to see them on their first day of understanding what it's like in the racing world, what some of those positions are, and some of the opportunities they may have as the future rolls in.

"It’s important for the students who came in today to see just the wide range of jobs that we have here and for them to understand, too, that every job's important. We want to be number one in every role that we have here and how competitive those roles are. They got a little bit of that competitive spirit, and if they have an interest in any one of the jobs that we have here, then this is a good opportunity for them in the future."

Among the speakers the students heard, in addition to Cindric and Nelson, were Daniel Lynch (driver safety and development); Matt Jansson (IndyCar assembly manager); Brandon Fry (No. 7 lead race engineer for Porsche Penske Motorsport); Angela Fultz (travel manager); Shaun Rinaman (athletic administrator); Kevin Shofe and Madison Conrad-Ellis (Roush Yates Engines personnel); Kate Wells (partnerships manager); and Taylor Smith (public relations representative).

"It was really good,” said student Natalia Hilton. “I was shocked by how much work goes into it. Every single crew member does their part, and it's really amazing to see how it all comes together. My favorite part was definitely seeing the pit stop. They're all athletes. It was incredible. They did it in, like, seven seconds. It was insane, and it was really interesting to see."

Said Addison Smith, "My favorite part of this experience was being able to see not only what the media sees racing to be, but being able to see behind the scenes in the engineering, and more of the sports media and marketing portion of the experience."

About 70 students applied for the event. Recruitment took place in collaboration with local high schools in the Iredell County area to find students interested in motorsports. The application process included an essay portion where they could share their motorsports interests, career aspirations, and the reason they wanted to participate in the event.

"The experience was great,” said Layton Walters. “It was an unforgettable thing. My favorite part for me was definitely when we took that extra time to look at the back of one of the IndyCar cars within Penske. Just that extra time that we took was a great highlight for me personally.”

For more information: www.racer.com

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