Hybrid Electric Classes Travels to Indy
Posted on Friday, May 16, 2025
UNOH Students at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Written by Contributing Columnist, UNOH Instructor, Neil Orsborne
On May 15, 2025, the Hybrid Electric classes, including Electrical & Electronics III and Advanced Technology Vehicles, attended IndyCar practice as those teams prepare for this year’s Indianapolis 500 race. For some of the students, this was their first experience attending a high-performance motorsports event. Prior to going to the event, students had an opportunity to learn about the IndyCar hybrid system while attending class. They were impressed by the similarities between standard OEM vehicles and their use in IndyCar applications. One student commented that he found it interesting that they are using Ultra-Capacitor’s vs. a battery pack.
Instructors and students connected with Bret Schmitt, Head Mechanic, and Jason Clark, Marketing, from Ed Carpenter Racing. While Bret was able to stop and say a few words to the students, Jason took the group through the garage area for a tour. He explained some processes of the technicians, what was required of the technicians, and a bit of what life was like during the Month of May. Thanks to Ed Carpenter Racing, students had a once-in-a-lifetime experience going through the garage area and walking down pit road of “The Brickyard”.
While there, students had a chance to catch up with 2021 UNOH graduate Kylee Jarman, a truck driver and tire technician for Meyer Shank Racing. She spoke with some of the students about how to get into the industry and what life was like on the road. Additionally, the class spoke with Hunter Connelly, a 2022 UNOH graduate with Meyer Shank Racing. He is the front-end technician for the team.
While walking down the pit road, a company owner from the Fort Wayne area stopped to speak with students about his company. He even offered a job to a student from the Fort Wayne area once he graduates from UNOH! Overall, the experience was eye-opening for the students, and they enjoyed seeing the connection between what they are learning in class and what happens in the real world of competitive motorsports. Instructor Neil Orsborn said his goal is to organize experiences like this for future classes so they can continue to see what they are learning in action outside of the classroom!
To learn more about UNOH's Hybrid Electric Vehicle Technology program, visit: https://www.unoh.edu/academics/college-of-applied-technologies/hybrid-electric-vehicle-technology.html
Category: Applied Technologies
Keywords: Hybrid Electric, IndyCar, Indianapolis Motor Speedway
