Engineering in the fast lane

Access to hands-on learning opportunities is a key reason Alexandra Alatzas chose the University of Delaware.

"Seeing something is 10 times more helpful than reading it in a book," the senior mechanical engineering major said.

This January, Alatzas participated in Engineering in Motorsports (MEEG467), a Winter Session course that culminated in a trip to Daytona, Florida, for the Rolex 24-hour endurance race and related events.

Alatzas, who has served as president of UD's Formula Society of Automotive Engineers for the past two years, expected the course to be fun, but was surprised by how much she learned.

"Students consistently report that this is one of the most informative courses they take, as it gives real-world context to their engineering academics," said instructor Steve Timmins, an adjunct professor of mechanical engineering.

While the course began with a few classroom sessions, its focus was largely experiential. Students toured local destinations like the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum, then traveled to Daytona in time for the Roar Before the Rolex 24, the tuning weekend ahead of the race. They visited museums and race shops in the lead-up to race weekend.

Launched in 2017, the course has built a strong alumni network. This year's group of 10 undergraduates met alumnus Chris Deely, Class of 2019, at the New Jersey Motorsports Park, where they learned about the engineering behind race cars, data acquisition and race management. Deely, now team manager and crew chief for Van der Steur Racing, also met the class in Daytona, along with fellow alumna Lexi Fader, Class of 2019, a Boeing design engineer who supports the team with logistics and hospitality.

The alumni gave the students a technical briefing on Van der Steur Racing's Aston Martin GT4 and GT3 race cars.

"I hadn't realized just how much work goes into preparation before they even get to the track," Alatzas said. During a tour of a Ford Racing trailer, she learned teams may run more than 1,500 simulations before a race and spend weeks analyzing sensor data afterward to optimize performance.

Check out highlights from the 2026 Engineering in Motorsports participants: