This article was originally reported in October 2025.
Three Texas A&M University engineering students spent summer 2025 as paid interns at Haas Factory Team (HFT), a NASCAR Cup Series team, working on-site at its race shop in Kannapolis, North Carolina. The internships grew out of Texas A&M’s marketing partnership with the team: HFT first planned to hire two Aggie interns and, after meeting the students, doubled the offer, with a fourth internship starting in January 2026 (Texas A&M Stories, October 24, 2025).
What the interns did
- Poorvi Parikh, a sophomore aerospace engineering major, modeled parts that were later manufactured. She said the biggest difference from class was that solutions at the shop must be efficient and cost-effective, not just correct.
- Ryan Teichman, a senior mechanical engineering major, helped take post-race measurements of brake components, sent the data to the crew chief, and 3D-printed parts he had designed or edited in CAD.
- Logan Davis, a 2025 graduate, worked on hands-on engineering problems. HFT offered him a job in quality control, but he chose to start an advanced degree at Texas A&M in the fall.
The interns also watched car dyno testing, pit crew practice and car setup, and met team staff and drivers, including Cole Custer. “We had them doing projects within a week or two of being here,” said Matt Chambers, who oversees metrology and quality control at HFT. Joe Custer, president of HFT and the Haas F1 Team, said the students “came in prepared, added value immediately,” and that he hoped they would encourage other Aggies to consider careers in NASCAR (Texas A&M Stories).
The partnership also includes sponsorship: Texas A&M was a season-long associate sponsor of HFT’s No. 41 Ford Mustang driven by Cole Custer and the primary sponsor at the Coca-Cola 600.
Texas A&M engineering at a glance
Texas A&M’s College of Engineering ranks No. 14 in the 2026 U.S. News graduate engineering ranking, with aerospace engineering at No. 8 and mechanical engineering at No. 13; the university is No. 59 among national universities in the 2027 U.S. News ranking (Forward Pathway, schools and majors rankings). For admissions, costs and international enrollment data, see our Texas A&M profile.
Internships for international students: what changed in 2026
An off-campus internship like this one requires F-1 students to obtain Curricular Practical Training (CPT) authorization from their school’s designated school official before starting work. In August 2026 the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) issued two broadcast messages that narrowed how schools may approve CPT (SEVP Broadcast Message 2608-02, August 24, 2026):
- CPT must be an integral part of an established curriculum: the practical training must be required of all students in that degree program, U.S. and international, not just an elective.
- The internship must be with an employer that has a cooperative agreement with the school, and the school must update SEVIS before work begins.
- The underlying regulation did not change; students generally still must complete one full academic year before CPT, with an exception for graduate programs that require immediate practical training.
Many universities stopped approving new CPT for elective internships after the guidance, while authorizations granted earlier generally stood. Before accepting a summer internship offer, international students at Texas A&M or any other school should confirm with their international student office whether their degree program qualifies. Optional Practical Training (OPT), which can be used after graduation, is a separate authorization.
References
- Life in the fast lane: Aggies impress during NASCAR internship (Texas A&M Stories, October 24, 2025)
- SEVP Broadcast Message 2608-02: Guidance for DSOs regarding CPT (August 24, 2026)
- SEVP Broadcast Message 2608-01: Reminder of Liability for DSOs Regarding CPT Authorization (August 12, 2026)
- Forward Pathway: U.S. News graduate school and major rankings