Way back when I ordered my Texas A&M University class ring, I held off on having a diamond added to it. My ambition was to be a successful engineer in professional motorsports. I wanted that diamond to represent a major achievement, like winning a pro racing season championship, or maybe even winning the Indy 500, as crazy-ambitious as that sounded at the time. I have worn that ring every single day since I got it. What I didn’t know then was that it would take 26 more years of intense work to earn that diamond.
Alexander Rossi’s 2016 Indy 500 win was assisted by the Honda Indycar engine and aero kit. I was the mechanical lead for the aero kit, so I had a substantial hand in that win. That opened the flood gates to an increasing rate of pinnacle-level racing wins and championships, culminating in an amazing 2020 season where Honda and Acura won practically everything in sight.
Consider this, all achieved in one year:
Indy 500 pole and front row lockout, Marco Andretti, Scott Dixon, Takuma Sato
Indy 500 win, Takuma Sato
Indy 500 positions 2, 3, and 4, Scott Dixon, Graham Rahal, Santino Ferrucci
Indycar driver champion, Scott Dixon (his 6th)
Indycar manufacturer champion, Honda (3rd year in a row)
IMSA DPi driver champions, Ricky Taylor, Helio Castroneves, and Alexander Rossi (Helio’s first championship)
IMSA DPi team champion, Acura Team Penske (2nd year in a row)
IMSA DPi manufacturer champion, Acura (2nd year in a row)
IMSA GTD driver champions, Mario Farnbacher, Matt McMurry, Shinya Michimi
IMSA GTD team champion, Meyer Shank Racing
IMSA GTD manufacturer champion, Acura (2nd year in a row)
In the first race of the 2021 season, Acura earned a Rolex 24 at Daytona DPi win with the Acura ARX-05. I was the mechanical lead for that car as well.
So, mission accomplished. I recently retired from HPD, with a breadth of achievements that will make that diamond shine bright forever.
But I’m not done yet.
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