RIVERSIDE, Calif. (April 29, 2016)— Nineteen engineering students got VIP access to the latest member of the California Baptist University engineering team – KVSH Racing – at the 2016 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 16.

CBU is an associate partner for the KVSH No. 11 team, which allowed students the up-close access to the car, driver and crew.

"My favorite part of the day was getting the opportunity to talk to the driver and the engineering team about the technology incorporated throughout the IndyCar," said Jonathan Osborne, a senior mechanical engineering major.  "It was exciting to see the practical application of what I had been learning in my ‘signal and system' lab just a few weeks before the event."

Dr. Anthony Donaldson, dean of the Gordon and Jill Bourns College of Engineering, said access to KVSH engineers provided a great learning opportunity for students.

Diana Ortega, a mechanical engineering junior, agreed.

"We got to talk to and learn from all of the engineers that work on all of the different parts of the car," she said. "We were treated as actual engineers, and it gave us insight to what it's like to work on a team of actual professional engineers."

For William Rosentrater, a mechanical engineering senior, the experience left an impression on his future career pursuits.

"This experience definitely had an impact on what I want to do later on in my life," Rosentrater said. "Every person we met was no doubt a master of their specific trade. I would be very excited to be a part of a team like KVSH."

The partnership will allow CBU students continued access to the KVSH engineering team throughout the 2016 season. There will also be opportunities for students to apply for engineering internships as they become available. Additionally, a select group of students will be placed among the KVSH team for the 100^th running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 29, assisting the team's engineering staff with problem solving.