Christina Lam offers an up-close look at IMSA to FSAE students

Headshots, practice laps and inspiration for the next generation? Easier said than done, right?

Well, these are all things Christina Lam tackled before her big debut at the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge.

[From track day junkie to IMSA rookie: Christina Lam]

But how?

“A big part of my education and professional career involves STEM, and I believe it is such an important area we should encourage more students to pursue,” Christina explains. “My electrical engineering degree taught me critical problem-solving skills that I use every day in race car life. I was excited to partner with Grassroots Motorsports magazine and IMSA to be able to invite out students from these SAE teams to check out our Helium Mobile Audi RS3 and meet our team.”

The day before the race, Christina and her Rockwell Autosport Development team offered a private tour to Formula SAE students from around the state of Florida. But this wasn’t your classic “lecture and then ask a few questions” type of tour. Students could break off to get more one-on-one time with Christina and the Rockwell crew.

For some students who are just starting their college careers, this experience helped them solidify their goals.

“One of the biggest things I learned from getting to meet Rockwell was the broadness of the levels of competition in sports car racing in that there are teams such as Rockwell that compete at a semi-professional level with a smaller crew in addition to the larger teams that you see competing internationally,” shares Jonathan Elliott, a University of Central Florida freshman who is looking to become a race engineer for an endurance racing team. “That really made me feel like there were much more avenues into motorsport than I originally thought, further instilling in me a desire and confidence to meet my career goal.”

For others who are near the end of their time in university, Christina and the team helped them further their understanding of motorsports and showed them just how coordinated these teams truly are.

“I learned about the relationship between teams and manufacturers, how OEMs prepare and support cars for their customer teams, and what elements of car setup the team has control over,” shares Riley Chunko, a junior in mechanical engineering at the University of Central Florida. “One thing that stood out most of all was how much collective knowledge the entire team had. From driver to team owner, they were all able to give insights into the car, series and sport.”

But that’s not all. The tour also allowed students to gather industry standards that they could bring back to their SAE teams.

“I learned a lot from the Rockwell crew,” explains Ryan Ray, a senior studying mechanical engineering at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. “A few others and I talked with the mechanics about anything and everything–from how they were setting up the TCR machine, to the types of suspension geometry adjustments they can make, to general engineering of the car, to strategy and how a typical weekend looks. I would say that the Rockwell crew had various efficient and creative ways to set up their car that we would like to bring back to our team.”

For Stephen Coleman, a sophomore in mechanical engineering, this event was more than a chance to learn more about motorsports and STEM. Stephen is starting a Formula SAE chapter at Jacksonville University.

“This was my first time attending an IMSA event and I was blown away by how personal an experience the entire four-day event was,” Stephen shares. “For students, having the opportunity to spend time with motorsports teams during race weekends is extremely beneficial. Building connections with the racing community and getting acclimated to the world of motorsports is a unique opportunity.”

Christina and Rockwell Autosports Development gave Stephen an experience that would help show his university board the benefits of SAE and motorsports in STEM and what his fellow students could experience. He also had the chance to connect with established SAE teams and learn more about what it takes to run a chapter, all while learning more about what he can do as he pursues a career in motorsport engineering, either through IMSA or NASCAR.

“The students had very thoughtful questions on how they could bridge the gap between their current roles on their SAE team and making the jump to an IMSA team,” Christina explains. “I’m so excited that my team helped inspire these students and help them network for future roles. Creating this opportunity for community outreach for up-and-coming students strengthens motorsports as we attract the brightest to our field.”

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