• MSR to integrate with St. Thomas University’s Fashion Merchandising & Design, Big Data Analytics, Culinary, and Sports Administration students.
  • St. Thomas University to host MSR team leadership in in-person symposium which will feature interactive learning opportunities to STU students
  • The No. 66 MSR Honda will run a special St. Thomas University livery at the Milwaukee Mile in August

Pataskala, Ohio (31 March 2025) – Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) and Miami’s St. Thomas University (STU) will join together for a one-of-a-kind partnership that will aim at fostering innovation, education, and career development opportunities in the world of motorsports.

STU, which is a leading nonprofit, Catholic University in Miami and MSR will collaborate to provide students at St. Thomas University with unprecedented access to the inner workings of a professional INDYCAR team, offering hands-on experience to learn more about the engineering, design and business administration roles of a race team. 

Throughout the month of April, STU Big Data Analytics students will work hand-in-hand with MSR’s NTT INDYCAR SERIES and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship engineering staff, interpreting and learning about the team’s data analytics and what goes into the engineering side on a race weekend. 

STU’s Fashion Merchandising & Design students will have the opportunity to design and create a special-edition race suit utilizing the team and series guidelines. Students will present their designs to the team for a chance to have Marcus Armstrong – driver of the No. 66 Honda Indy car – wear the suit during the Milwaukee Mile race weekend in August. 

STU’s Culinary students will work to create a race-specific sports drink, designed with the flavors of tropical Miami in mind. Three flavors will be created, packed with performance nutrition. The inspiration will be the drivers themselves during a race.

At the end of April, MSR leadership will host a symposium at St. Thomas University which will put an emphasis on Sports Administration, Communications, and Marketing. Students will participate in an interactive assignment, working together to identify and rationalize the best sponsor for a race team. 

To round out the MSR and STU partnership, the team will run a special St. Thomas University livery on the No. 66 Honda during the Milwaukee Mile on August 24th with members from the University attending the race weekend. 

Meyer Shank Racing continues to push the boundaries of performance and innovation and by aligning with St. Thomas University, MSR aims to engage with emerging talent and help shape the future of motorsports.

“This opportunity to align with St. Thomas University is truly something that I have not seen before,” said MSR co-owner Mike Shank. “There are so many areas of motorsports that people can work in and it’s really great that St. Thomas University is opening its doors for us to show students what all racing is about. We’re very excited for this partnership.”

St. Thomas University President, David A. Armstrong, J.D., expressed his excitement for the partnership and getting to work with MSR next month.

“STU is moving to the top of the field at blinding speed, just like a Meyer Shank Racing Indy car,” said Armstrong. “The MSR team understands the importance of academics, and beyond the livery on the beautiful STU car, they are giving our students the opportunity to learn from the best. We are grateful for the opportunity to show the world what our students can do.”

MSR is looking forward to connecting with and working with STU students on various projects throughout the month of April, leading up to the symposium at the end of the month. 

About St. Thomas University
St. Thomas University (STU) is one of the South’s premier Catholic universities. It is a private, nonprofit institution committed to fostering students’ academic and professional success and helping them become ethical leaders in the global community. Rich with cultural and international diversity, STU is a Miami Archdiocesan university, the only archdiocesan university in Florida, and one of just 11 nationwide. STU offers more than 60 undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate degree programs online and on the university’s beautiful Miami Gardens via its College of Nursing, College of Health Sciences & Technology, Benjamin L. Crump College of Law, Gus Machado College of Business, and Biscayne College for Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. As of spring 2025, STU served 7,660 undergraduate, graduate, and dual enrollment students, a 78% increase since President David A. Armstrong, J.D., took office in the fall of 2018. STU is currently completing $123 million in improvements, its biggest expansion since its 1961 founding, including adding 400,000 square feet of new facilities. Among other objectives, President Armstrong’s new “Pursue Excellence” strategic plan seeks to build a new 99,000-square-foot STEM and nursing building, expand the Benjamin L. Crump College of Law and construct new athletic facilities.