NASA Driver Goes From CalTech to Disney Imagineering to the Podium and Stanford

Though she had no idea at the time, falling into — and dedicating herself to — racing would steer Alice Kutsyy toward the career she is now pursuing. She and her father Vadim spent many warm afternoons working on his cars — minor jobs like brake pad changes — and her affinity for automobiles was apparent from the start. As she neared driving age, the two picked out her first car, a 2011 Mustang convertible, and continued their father-daughter afternoons spent tinkering on her new toy.

As she approached her 16th birthday, Vadim informed her that she’d be getting a different sort of present this year: a pass to a track day at Thunderhill Raceway Park. A supportive father who wanted to see his daughter drive safely, he knew that a lesson in performance driving might help her avoid doing some of the silly things teenagers are liable to do behind the wheel. Eventually, she came to realize her convertible’s limitations.

“I liked my convertible. I enjoyed the rooflessness, but it wasn’t suited to the track. A little after, I started looking for a racecar of my own, and found a Thunder Roadster with a full set of spares for $4,000. Of course, nothing on it worked,” she reminisced.

Manufactured by US Legend Cars International, the TR comes in two versions. The entry-level TR uses a Yamaha 1,200 or 1,250cc engine, and uses mostly open bodywork. The GTR variant runs a 1.4-liter Suzuki Hayabusa engine and incorporates wings and wheel arches as part of a larger aero kit.

The TR, which is being phased out for the faster and more reliable GTR, uses stock Mikuni BS36 carburetors and black ignition coils / box as delivered from US Legends Cars. Owners may convert air cooled to water-cooled, but the TR cars must run the 2:93:1 or 3:30:1 rear axle ratios. Kutsyy purchased her sealed motor from INEX, the Legends’ sanctioning body, which was already converted to water-cooling. “When that one blew up, I was able to find another lightly used engine that was already converted,” she added.

The GTR uses first and second-generation Suzuki Hayabusa engines with the stock Mikuni BS36 carburetors and the spec manifold. Any performance modifications to the engine to alter the factory stock horsepower are strictly prohibited. However, oil pump gears, oil pans and oiling system components may be upgraded to maintain adequate oil pressure. The 3:58:1 rear axle ratio is mandatory.

“It was about four months before I was able to get it on track, and then a few months later I got my competition license (just under a year after I first went on track). The car had been in storage for 12 years in a garage in Las Vegas, so it needed a ton of small fixes: new fuel lines, new brake lines, a new seat, a new fire system, a rebuilt carburetor, new fluids, and a new fuel cell.

That would be her first hurdle. The second would be adjusting to the demands of a 1,300-pound purpose-built racing car after learning the ropes with a soft-edged Mustang.

“It’s reasonably spacious for a single seater,” says Kutsyy, who is 5-feet 6-inches tall. “My legs have a lot more room than pretty much any other race built car I’ve sat in. The downside is I was sliding around in there until I finally poured a seat insert; we got a larger seat so that my dad would be able to eventually drive it too,” she noted. The cockpit is surrounded by a cage and a halo-like assembly, but ingress and egress is surprisingly straightforward. Inside, the driver’s position is offset to the left. “This might be due to the fact these cars were designed for ovals, but I’m not sure,” she added.

The upside to this design is plein-air driving. “I feel a lot more connected with what’s going around me compared to when I hop in my dad’s Spec E30. An open top helps me feel connected. The blind spots are tiny compared to most production cars, too.” And since the bodywork is mostly open, she knows exactly when she’s locked a front.

As Kids Today Say

Obsessed —or possessed — might be the operative word in this case. Totally infatuated with her new toy, she dedicated herself to her new racing machine as much as her schedule would allow.

“I remember meeting up with my dad the first time we ran it, then at Buttonwillow, and it was a terrifying experience,” she said. “I love my car, but it’s not the easiest to handle. It has a long front end, a welded diff, and a 73-inch wheelbase. You’re basically sitting on the solid rear axle.

“Eventually, I got the hang of it. The car is fun, lively, and loose at the rear,” she added. “I go sideways through sweepers, and it takes a lot of throttle modulation. It’s a lot of fun, but it also freaks some people out behind me!”

That comfort with a nervous rear helped her develop quickly in low-grip situations, but, like everything she does seriously, she started by putting in the required time.

“Even after I had the hang of driving my car in the dry, I didn’t feel comfortable in the rain. Every time it would rain on a test day, or if I saw a rainy forecast for a test day I could make, I would go out. I had to be careful with the throttle application. If I applied it too quickly, it would come around pretty quickly. I started to get a feel for the difference between sliding a little and sliding too much or when you’re on the verge of spinning. I was also learning how to read the track conditions changing over the course of a race. Over time, I could predict where the wettest parts would be the next lap.”

This dedicated period of study began in September 2020. By the following February, she’d acquired her racing license and set out proving everything she’d learned.

Kutsyy had moved to SoCal by then, where the TR turnout wasn’t so good. “I was the only Thunder Roadster, which was fine for a while since it didn’t come naturally to me. Some of the Spec E30s kept me company those weekends,” she said.

Sim prep, track notes, analyzing data with her dad, and studying the Ross Bentley track walks got her comfy, and soon she could eye her setup chart with some understanding of vehicle dynamics.

“At first, I asked someone what a good suspension setup on my car was, set it to that, and didn’t touch it for a year,” she said. A big breakthrough for me came when I started being able to actually feel what minor setup changes felt like on track.

“I recently switched to Super Touring 5, where the fields are always pretty full — from six to a dozen cars most weekends. I haven’t been winning all the races by any means, but I’ve been getting podiums consistently. We had a rain race that was one of my absolute favorites. All the time practicing in the rain paid off. I won that race by quite a margin.”

Meticulous, Measured, Masterful

Unfortunately, the Thunder Roadster hasn’t been the most reliable car out there. “I like to joke that if something can break on this car, it already has,” she remarked, “but a lot of that was my fault. I just didn’t know what to look after when I started.”

Thankfully, the motors are stout. “They’re good for four-ish seasons. When I got the car it already had two seasons on it, I ran it for two more before it threw a rod, and then I bought a newly rebuilt engine, so I haven’t had to deal with it too much. I just adjust the valves every so often and the engine is good to go!”

There were two big failures which altered her approach to maintenance: a rod out the side of the block and a spring firing off a broken shock.

“That shock was probably bent from hitting something, and I never checked it, and so that’s on me,” she stated. Those two experiences helped her change her approach to preparation. “I’ve learned over the years that things like the driveshaft bolts tend to vibrate themselves loose, so I’ve added those to my pre-race checklist. I use safety wire on the driveshaft bolts, I torque-stripe some of the bolts, and I check some at regular intervals,” she elaborated.

“I’ve always wanted to be able to calculate stresses and strains, and though I don’t have that information on the parts of my car, I’ve learned a lot about how to treat a car. I was a ride development engineer at Walt Disney Imagineering, and seeing how they treat bolts, and how they treat torque specs, etc. If they say that this type of bolt is a one-time use, then I’ll follow that with my prep from there on,” she said.

This has made her a fastidious list-checker. She knows which parts need checking before the weekend, things to be checked every day, and things that need to be checked between sessions. “I try to adhere to some of the standards I’ve seen in my jobs, and that usually means I take a little longer prepping,” she added.

There is always the chance something can break, but Kutsyy now has enough experience with things breaking that she deal with them in the moment.

“That’s given me peace of mind,” she said. “Now, my car feels bulletproof; I feel safe pushing my car.”

Looking to the Future

Balancing a dedicated race season with her engineering degree has been trying, but equally rewarding. Few gearheads are fortunate enough – and as deserving – to secure an internship with Honda and lend a hand at a real IndyCar race, for instance. “The first college internship I had, I was an engine design engineer with Honda Racing Corporation with their Indycar engines. I was impressed with the professionalism of it all. Obviously, I’m racing at quite an amateur level, but that experience pushed me toward being involved in some professional capacity.”

Now, Kutsyy is pursuing a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering at Stanford University. Specifically, she’s interested in experimental mechanics, the intersection between materials science and mechanical engineering, which stemmed from watching things break on her race car over the years.

But when she isn’t applying her mind to engineering, she’s making the most of her remaining time with the Thunder Roadster, which she fears she might part with in the near future. The dwindling numbers in her current class after moving home, NorCal ST5 has forced her to consider something new. Though she prefers the thoroughbred cars, she’s not got the biggest budget because she’s about to be a grad student. “I think my preference is a race-built car, but thinking about a car with a fuller field. I like the Spec E46.”

At just 23, Kutsyy has accomplished a remarkable amount as an engineer and a racer, and there’s no doubt that she has a bright future ahead.

“Racing has been a high point for me over the last five years. I’ve learned a lot from so many people and I wouldn’t be nearly as good a racer or a mechanic without them. I really love the thrill and the community, so I hit the ground running.”

Let’s hope she doesn’t slow down anytime soon.

For more on Kutsyy’s career, follow @belladonna_racing or alice.kutsyy.com.