Purdue alum Jonathan Hassler wins Coca-Cola 600 as crew chief for Ryan Blaney

Ryan Blaney, left, and Purdue alum Jonathan Hassler (Rusty Jarrett/Motorsport Images) Download image

The great weekend for Penske cars with Purdue ties continued Monday (5/30) in Charlotte at the Coca Cola 600 NASCAR race with Penske driver Ryan Blaney claiming the checkered flag, with Jonathan Hassler (BSME '07) atop the pit box. It's Hassler's first win for the #12 team, after being named crew chief at the beginning of last season. 

"I'm probably more relieved than excited at this point," Hassler said at a post-race press conference Monday night. "but certainly glad to get a win and get ourselves locked into the playoffs."

Hassler studied mechanical engineering at Purdue, where he raced late models across Indiana with his own student racing team, Opportunity Motorsports. Among his Purdue teammates at the time were Chris Gabehart, who would also become a NASCAR crew chief for Denny Hamlin, and Angela Ashmore, who last year became the first female crew member to win the Indy 500.