Texas A&M University and Meyer Shank Racing today unveiled the No. 60 Honda that Indianapolis 500 winner Felix Rosenqvist will drive in the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C., on Aug. 23, revealing a patriotic design built around a message: Together, We Stand as a Force for Good.
The car combines Texas A&M’s iconic maroon with red, white and blue and American flag-inspired graphics. But the design is intended to do more than make the university visible.
Across the rear wing, “Together We Stand” faces forward toward Rosenqvist, while “A Force for Good” faces the field behind him. The university name dominates the sidepods, while patriotic graphics extend across the front wing, rear-wing endplates, nose and bodywork.
Together, the elements turn the car into a moving expression of Texas A&M’s larger message: Working together for the good of Texas and the nation.
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“Visibility matters, but visibility alone is not the goal,” said R. Ethan Braden, vice president and chief marketing and communications officer at Texas A&M. “We want people to see Texas A&M, but also to understand something about us when they do. The car itself tells that story. ‘Together We Stand’ and ‘A Force for Good’ are literally carried into the race by the Indianapolis 500 champion, in the nation’s capital. The design, the driver and the setting all help make Texas A&M not only visible, but legible.”
That message extends beyond the car.
During the national Fox broadcast of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix, Texas A&M will debut a two-minute brand anthem commercial featuring Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter and Texas A&M alumnus Lyle Lovett performing a new rendition of the 1970 hit “Let’s Work Together.”
Lovett’s performance accompanies scenes of Aggies working together across education, research, engineering, health, agriculture, national security, military service and public service. The film is designed to introduce millions of Americans to dimensions of Texas A&M they may not know and connect those contributions through a simple proposition: when Aggies work together, they become a force for good for Texas and the nation.
“At a consequential moment for higher education, universities cannot assume the public understands the value they create,” Braden said. “We have to show up in places people may not expect to encounter a university and demonstrate that value in ways people can understand and remember. Live sports gives us a rare national audience gathered together in a shared moment. Felix, the car, Lyle and the anthem each tell part of our story and help people understand more about Texas A&M, what we stand for and what we contribute to the country.”
The Freedom 250 Grand Prix comes as the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary and Texas A&M approaches its 150th. For Texas A&M, that convergence provides an opportunity not simply to celebrate two anniversaries, but to underscore the role public universities have played, and must continue to play, in the nation’s future.
“The Freedom 250 Grand Prix comes at a remarkable moment, as our nation celebrates 250 years and Texas A&M approaches 150,” Texas A&M President Dr. Susan Ballabina said. “Texas A&M was created to serve, and that responsibility remains at the heart of who we are. We develop leaders of character, put knowledge and discovery to work, support those who serve and take on challenges that matter to Texas and the nation. This is an opportunity to celebrate that history while showing how Texas A&M will continue to be a force for good in the years ahead.”
Rosenqvist will carry that message throughout race weekend.
Renowned helmet artist Troy Lee created a special patriotic helmet featuring a Texas A&M Aggie Ring crest on the crown, an American flag-inspired design wrapping around the sides and a Texas A&M logo positioned prominently on the front, including for Fox’s in-car camera views.
Rosenqvist’s fire suit extends the same visual system. The Texas A&M name stretches across the chest, back and arms, with university marks throughout and “Together, We Stand as a Force for Good” running down the outside of each leg.
“Winning the Indianapolis 500 with Texas A&M on board was something I’ll never forget,” Rosenqvist said. “Being at the White House recently showed just how much attention is building around this race. Now we get to bring this partnership and its message to Washington. I’m proud to carry it.”
The Washington activation builds on a partnership that has already placed Texas A&M in one of the defining sports moments of the year. Rosenqvist won the Indianapolis 500 earlier this year in the closest finish in the event’s 110-year history with Texas A&M prominently represented on his helmet and fire suit. Broadcast coverage, photography, social media and earned media carried the moment far beyond Indianapolis.
That experience reinforced Texas A&M’s approach to motorsports: use major live sporting events not simply as sponsorship inventory, but as distinctive national platforms for telling the university’s story to audiences higher education does not always reach.
Washington offers an especially fitting stage. The 1.7-mile, seven-turn temporary street circuit will take drivers past some of the institutions and landmarks that represent American history and public life, including the Smithsonian museums, the National Gallery of Art and the U.S. Capitol.
“The car carries the message. Felix gives it credibility, performance and a champion to carry it. Lyle and the commercial give it a voice and show what it looks like in the lives and work of Aggies,” Braden said. “Washington gives all of it a national stage with particular meaning. Different pieces, one idea: when we work together, we can be a force for good for Texas and the nation.”
Fans can watch the Freedom 250 Grand Prix live on Fox on Sunday, Aug. 23. Pre-race coverage begins at 10:30 a.m. CT, with the race starting shortly after noon.
About Meyer Shank Racing
Founded by Michael Shank in 1989, Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) is a championship-winning organization with a proven record of success across North America’s premier racing series. Competing in both the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, MSR has earned victories at some of the world’s most prestigious events, including the Indianapolis 500 and the 24 Hours of Daytona. Led by co-owners Mike Shank and Jim Meyer, the Ohio-based team has built a reputation for performance, innovation, and resilience, capturing race wins, poles, podium finishes, and championships through decades of competition at the highest levels of motorsport.
