Need for Speed: A childhood dream becomes reality thanks to CEAT
Friday, November 1, 2024
Media Contact: Kristi Wheeler | Manager, CEAT Marketing and Communications | 405-755-5831 | kristi.wheeler@okstate.edu
Kade Faith credits a pit stop at the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology with helping him achieve his dream of working in motorsports.
“OSU taught me how to learn. The hard work and influence of my professors helped grow my desire for engineering and pushed me to learn more,” he said. “I know there is nothing that I can’t pick up on eventually because of my experience here.”
A spring 2024 mechanical and aerospace engineering graduate, Faith landed his dream job as a race engineer at ThorSport Racing, a NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series team in Sandusky, Ohio.
When asked what started his interest in motorsports, Faith responded, “Growing up, it was the movies, ‘Cars’ and ‘Herbie: Fully Loaded,’ that got me interested in NASCAR. I was around 4 at the time and fell in love pretty quickly.”
Growing up, math and science came naturally to Faith; between this and his love of motorsports, choosing engineering was an easy decision.
Faith’s new job entails many responsibilities, including anything from fuel mileage calculations, adjustments, or running simulations on a Ford truck to see how it will perform on the racetrack.
A typical race day starts with running the truck through a technical inspection, a five-stage process that NASCAR uses to help level the sport’s playing field. Once the truck passes inspections, it is on to practice, which lasts around 20 minutes. During this time, Faith and the team make any necessary adjustments to the car. Then, onto qualifying and a couple of hours later is the race.
Some experiences that Faith attributes to helping prepare him include his time working on research projects with Dr. Brian Elbing, working as a structured learning assistant for Dr. Jennifer Glenn’s introduction to computer programming class, as well as his senior design capstone project — Aerospace Propulsion Outreach Program — with Dr. Kurt Rouser.
This project was to design and manufacture a thrust reverser for a small JetCAT turbojet engine.
“My experience at college gave me a great set of knowledge that will help me moving forward.”
“This job gives me an opportunity to grow in so many ways and CEAT helped me tremendously to prepare for it,” Faith said. “I really can’t imagine myself going anywhere else the past four years.”
Story by: Savannah McDaniel | IMPACT Magazine
Photos: Anne Buford and Alejandro Alvarez, NASCAR Digital Media