NASCAR Technical Institute Graduates and Student Make History on First Female Forward INDYCAR SERIES Team

Two Graduates and Current Student on Crew for Paretta Autosport’s No. 16 Chevrolet

MOORESVILLE, N.C. – All eyes will be on the first majority-female INDYCAR SERIES team at the Indianapolis 500 this year, where three local women will be helping make history. All three are on the crew of Paretta Autosport’s No. 16 Chevrolet, and all three began their motorsports training at Universal Technical Institute’s Mooresville, N.C. campus, NASCAR Technical Institute.

Madison Conrad, a Powertrain Reliability Specialist at Roush Yates Engines; Caitlyn Brown, a NASCAR mechanic at Team Penske; and NASCAR Tech student Andra Buzatu have been training at Team Penske’s facility in Mooresville, N.C. for months – and their dedication is apparent by their schedule alone.

“I get to practice about 4:30 a.m. on weekdays to get ready, stretch and set up,” said Brown. “We run live pit stops and work out with Team Penske’s trainer, focusing on building our upper body strength. I work on the NASCAR side at Team Penske from 6 a.m. until noon, and then I’ll go over to the INDYCAR side to help with the No. 16 car. It’s definitely challenging, but to be part of a team with an end goal of employing all women has been really incredible for me.”

Paretta Autosport is led by motorsports executive Beth Paretta, a woman who made her mark in racing at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. Paretta Autosport’s goal is to encourage and mentor girls and women to pursue careers in STEM-related fields. The team incorporates women in many key roles, including mechanics, engineers, marketing and business operations, and is part of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES’ “Race for Equality and Change” initiative. The No. 16 will be piloted by Simona De Silvestro.

“Beth Paretta wants to take this to young girls and show them that there’s a fun, exciting career path in motorsports,” said Conrad. “Being a woman in this industry has been great for me, although there’s always a feeling of having to prove myself. But hard work gets noticed and you have to keep pushing.”

Conrad and Brown believe their team has the skills and talent to be competitive, and they’re proud to be part of this historic effort and blazing trails for other women.

“This is a groundbreaking opportunity for our NASCAR Tech graduates and student and I’m certain it will positively impact them for the rest of their lives,” said John Dodson, VP of Business Alliances and NASCAR for Universal Technical Institute. “While attending NASCAR Tech, they have consistently performed at the top of their classes. Their dedication, hard work and professionalism has paid off, and now they have the opportunity to show the world just how much they deserve this chance. They’ve certainly earned this platform and I can’t wait to cheer them on My hope is that their career success inspires many others to follow their dreams.”

NASCAR Tech campus president Jennifer Bergeron said Paretta Autosport is a great example of one of the many opportunities available to Universal Technical Institute graduates in the transportation industry.

“We take pride in the diversity of our student body and the women who’ve excelled at NASCAR Technical Institute,” said Bergeron. “Demand is high for skilled workers in the transportation industry, and we give our students the foundation for fulfilling, lifelong careers. It’s exciting to see our graduates, Madison Conrad and Caitlyn Brown, leverage their industry-aligned training and take advantage of the great opportunities that were available to them.”

The 105th running of the Indianapolis 500 will be broadcast live on Sunday, May 30 at 11 a.m. ET on NBC.

“Seeing those cars on the track and fans in the stands at Indianapolis Motor Speedway will be amazing,” said Brown. “When I get that race suit on, someone’s going to have to pinch me.”

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About Universal Technical Institute, Inc.:
With more than 220,000 graduates in its 55-year history, Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE: UTI) is the nation’s leading provider of technical training for automotive, diesel, collision repair, motorcycle and marine technicians, and offers welding technology and computer numerical control (CNC) machining programs. The company has built partnerships with industry leaders, outfits its state-of-the-industry facilities with current technology, and delivers training that is aligned with employer needs. Through its network of 12 campuses nationwide, UTI offers post-secondary programs under the banner of several well-known brands, including Universal Technical Institute (UTI), Motorcycle Mechanics Institute and Marine Mechanics Institute (MMI) and NASCAR Technical Institute (NASCAR Tech). The company is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona.

For more information, visit www.uti.edu. Like UTI on www.facebook.com/UTI or follow UTI on Twitter @UTITweet, @MMITweet, and @NASCARTechUTI.

Media Contact:
Faye Shroff
Breaking Limits for NASCAR Technical Institute
fshroff@breakinglimits.net
(704) 591-4353