Aerospace meets asphalt ambition
ASU mechanical engineering student balances racing career with coursework
Isabella Robusto practices her racing skills on a simulator. Robusto is a professional race car driver competing in the ARCA Menards Series for stock cars and a full-time mechanical engineering student specializing in aerospace engineering in the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University. Photo courtesy of Robusto Motorsports
A gleaming race car’s V8 engine roars to life to the tune of a stadium of screaming fans. The car rolls forward to the starting line and a green flag falls. Dozens of cars tear away from the starting line, signaling the beginning of an ARCA Menards Series stock car race.
For Isabella Robusto, this is just a normal day at work. She’s a professional racing driver for Toyota Gazoo Racing, the performance division of the automotive behemoth Toyota.
Robusto is also a full-time undergraduate student in the online mechanical engineering degree program at Arizona State University's Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering. After graduating early from high school, she took a year to focus full-time on her racing career, which developed from a lifelong passion for racing that began when she was a child racing go-karts.
"When I was about 12 years old, I joined the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development Program," Robusto says. "That’s when I really knew that I wanted to do everything I can to become a professional race car driver."
On track academically and professionally
Although she already had a professional racing career, Robusto always knew she wanted to get a college degree. But her racing schedule required a flexible program.
Robusto had an interest in aerospace engineering and looked into online options for degree programs in the field, which led her to ASU Online.
“Engineering has always been something that I love,” she says. “I’m very grateful that ASU had a mechanical engineering degree that I could do online while specializing in aerospace.”
The program has the same curriculum that on-campus students complete while offering the flexibility to complete the work anywhere. Robusto works with her instructors and academic advising team to manage her course load around her racing schedule, ensuring she stays on track in her academics while also spending the time she needs on the racking track.
She says her work as an engineering student has given her a new understanding of racing.
“There’s tons of data we have to go through from the simulator, at the track and when we get done at the track,” Robusto says. “Being able to have the terminology and talk with the engineers closer than I feel most other drivers can is a great help. I feel like we get to the end goal quicker, which is a huge help.”
Robusto’s improved understanding of engineering concepts helps her provide valuable feedback for the engineers on her team to refine and tune her car in simulations, which inform how to set up her car for success on the track despite limited real-world practice time.
Engineering a winning racing formula
Robusto aims to use the engineering insights from her degree to become a better driver.
“My engineering skills add to the list of things that I can provide to Toyota beyond being the driver,” she says. “Everything helps in the sport.”
Robusto’s ultimate goal is to make it to the upper echelons of stock car racing in NASCAR, as the ARCA Menards Series is known as a preparatory step for those looking to break into the NASCAR world. She wants to inspire other girls and women in the male-dominated fields of both motorsports and STEM.
“I do a lot of STEM work with the NASCAR Foundation,” Robusto says. “We go to schools and show the kids that anyone can become an engineer and anyone can work in racing. I always want to help the little girls and show them that they can be engineers too and they can succeed in a career path that’s male dominated.”