St. Thomas University students will get a taste of motor sports through race team sponsorship

Miami Herald

26-05-2025

Jeff Plunkett was trembling.
Plunkett is what some might call a nerd. He is the dean of St. Thomas University's College of Health, Sciences and Technology. He earned his Ph.D. in neurobiology at Georgia State, and he completed his post-doctoral training at the University of Miami.
But Plunkett is also a gearhead. He has been to Daytona International Speedway more than 50 times, and that's why he was so thrilled recently when STU announced a partnership with the Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) team.
'I'm a huge racing fan,' Plunkett said. 'I'm shaking. I'm so excited.'
STU will sponsor Meyer Shank in the IndyCar Milwaukee Mile on Aug. 24.
Other universities have forged similar relationships with racing teams through the years. Texas A&M has sponsored both NASCAR and IndyCar teams. Indiana University has a Motorsports Engineering program that partners with IndyCar. And Purdue has a long history with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, including the Purdue Grand Prix.
But Michael Shank, one of the owners of MSR Racing, said that the partnership with STU is unique.
'Purdue and some of those other schools have race-engineering-based classes,' Shank told the Miami Herald. 'These are kids who want to do mechanical engineering and aerodynamic engineering and can get a motor sports degree. But what we're doing here is different.'
The difference, Shank said, is that STU students — across many majors — will contribute to MSR.
For example:
STU's fashion students will create a new fire suit for MSR driver Marcus Armstrong to wear on race day.
Dr. Ashlee Rzyczycki, the program director for STU's Fashion, Merchandising and Design major, has issued a challenge to her students to 'create a look that is fashion forward and yet captures the essence or car racing.'
The top six designs will be sent to the Meyer Shank team, which will narrow it down to three. From there, fans will choose the winning design on social media.
'It's not just about the fashion of the suit,' Rzyczycki said. 'It's about the technical aspects. It's about marketing and branding.'
Armstrong said he likes colorful suits.
'You can really get away with going extra [on racing suits],' he said. 'There's no such thing as too much. … I don't know if I should've said that [laughs], but I'm looking forward to seeing what the students come up with.'
Marieth Useche, an 18-year-old freshman from Venezuela who enrolled at STU in January, has come up with three sports drinks that Armstrong can use for hydration on race day.
She created three flavors and gave them names that are apropos: Victory Lap Mint Mojito; Push 2 Pass Passion Fruit Mai Tai; and Pole Position Mango Mojito.
In her presentation to the Meyer Shank team, Useche mentioned that temperatures can reach over 140 degrees in a race car and that drivers can lose five to 10 pounds during a race from sweating.
'Hydration is key for motor sports athletes to maintain focus and energy for the entire race,' she said. 'Dehydration can result in a reduced response time and in difficulty in concentration.'
Naeve Duarte, who plays on the STU women's basketball team and is a master's degree student, gave a pitch to MSR based on a partnership with Neuralink, a neurotechnology company founded by Elon Musk.
'The driver will wear a headset that will record the driver's brain data in real time as he or she moves around the track,' Duarte said.
This information will be useful for the Meyer Shank team, but, Duarte said it will also 'give fans an opportunity to experience what a driver goes through in a racing simulator.'
Plunkett's science and technology students will get a look at the actual numbers that impact racing.
'Gone are the days where you used to build a car in the garage, take it to the track and have the engine succeed or fail,' Plunkett said.
'Today, with all the parity in Indy Racing, NASCAR and Formula 1, it comes down to milliseconds. Data given from the driver and the car to the team can make the difference between winning and second place.'
Plunkett said he has already met with MSR engineers.
'Our students will be able to compare MSR's data to other racing teams and say, 'Here is where we can have an advantage.'
'It's going to be fascinating.'
In the future, Plunkett will look to his exercise and physiology team to study potential performance enhancements for drivers.
If this goes well, Plunkett said, team owners could pick drivers that have certain performance markers.
'Think of it like the NFL Draft where all those athletes get measured and tested at the [scouting] combine,' Plunkett said. 'The same could one day be true for drivers due to on-track and off-track testing.'
In addition to all of this, Shank said there might be an opportunity for an STU student to update the MSR logo, which is 20 years old.
About the partnership in general, Armstrong said: 'We have a lot of experienced people in our industry, but we don't have as much creative people who will think outside the box.'
The deal between STU and Meyer Shank was first discussed in April 2024. Marc Cannon, who is on STU's Board of Trustees and is also a major sponsor of Meyer Shank, made the introduction.
In January, STU President David A. Armstrong met with Shank and fellow MSR owners Helio Castroneves and Tim Meyer.
Castroneves, who is one of only four drivers who has won the Indy 500 a record four times, was immediately sold on the idea.
'But he wanted it to be innovative,' Cannon said. 'He wanted it to have a purpose.'
David Armstrong — no relation to MSR driver Marcus Armstrong — was initially concerned about whether STU could financially afford the sponsorship.
'I said, 'Don't worry about it — we'll make it affordable,'' Cannon said. 'MSR won't make any money on the deal.'
Cannon said the price tag is $250,000 — less than half of what a sponsorship would normally cost.
In return, STU gets great publicity, including its logo on the car and racing suit, and a valuable experience for its student. Meyer Shank gets some new ideas.
It's a win-win-win.
'The business of racing is massive,' David Armstrong said. 'For our students who are majoring in sports administration, this is great for them to be a part of because of the amount of money that's in racing. It's insane — from the cars, to the advertising and to all the people involved.
'Plus, education should be fun. This will be a fun opportunity, and I can't wait to see the end product in Milwaukee.'
Cannon said a few other racing teams have already tried to find out details of what Meyer Shank is cooking up with STU.
Shank, meanwhile, said he usually talks to other car owners. Getting ideas from a younger generation is appealing.
'I'm all in,' Shank said.
Driver Marcus Armstrong is just 24 years old, but prior to coming to St. Thomas for the announcement of this deal, he had never set foot on a college campus.
A native of New Zealand, Armstrong left home at age 13, living in Italy as he chased his driver dreams.
But because he is now in this partnership with STU, someone asked if the university might give him an honorary degree.
That's when David Armstrong got the last word on the question of an honorary degree.
'If he wins,' STU's president said with a smile, 'because that's what we do here at STU.'