Auburn’s ICAMS featured at NASCAR’s Talladega Superspeedway

The Interdisciplinary Center for Advanced Manufacturing Systems (ICAMS) at Auburn University recently made an appearance at one of NASCAR’s most iconic venues — Talladega Superspeedway. The center’s logo was featured on the BuildSubmarines.com race car, highlighting a partnership that connects cutting-edge manufacturing innovation with America’s industrial base.

As part of the Maritime Industrial Base’s engagement with NASCAR’s RFK Racing team, featuring BuildSubmarines.com, ICAMS was honored to be showcased during the NASCAR Cup Series Race on Sunday, Oct. 19, in Talladega. The collaboration highlighted a shared commitment between academia and industry to strengthen the nation’s manufacturing capabilities and workforce.

ICAMS and Build Submarines share a common mission: to revitalize U.S. manufacturing and rebuild the skilled workforce necessary to sustain it. Both organizations recognize that the future of American industry depends not only on access to advanced technologies but also on preparing the next generation of workers to use them effectively.

Through education, hands-on training and research partnerships, ICAMS is developing pathways for students and industry professionals to gain expertise in modern manufacturing processes, including advanced automation, smart manufacturing systems and data-driven production methods.

“At ICAMS, we’re proud to support initiatives like We Build Submarines and Build Giants, along with Alabama’s small- and medium-sized manufacturers — all of whom play a vital role in strengthening the Navy’s and Department of Defense’s industrial base,” said Joshua Whiting, ICAMS research engineer.

Auburn engineering students attending the event gained firsthand insights into the intersection of engineering, precision and performance.

“I thought it was interesting how they studied pit stops like a mini manufacturing process,” said Jack Walden, ICAMS research engineer and industrial and systems engineering senior. “They used engineering tools and simulation to minimize variance and reduce the time for each operation in a pit stop.”