Our Combustion Leads
Leo Cheong
Team Captain
Leo is a third-year Mechanical Engineering student from San Antonio, Texas, and this year's Team Captain of Longhorn Racing Combustion. Prior to this role, he led the suspension subsystem and oversaw the design of the carbon fiber control arms. Always down to grab a bite to eat (especially all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ), he’s passionate about all things automotive, with a particular love for incredibly small two-seater cars.
Sahith Mocharla
Operations
Sahith is a third-year Finance and International Relations student from Dallas, Texas, and Operations Lead for LHR Combustion. For now, he’ll continue managing Excel sheets and HubSpot dashboards until someone who actually knows how to use VLOOKUP finally shows up. You can usually find him consuming an alarming amount of food or loitering by the Red Bull fridge in the garage.
Ustav Gupta
Aerodynamics
​Utsav is a third-year Aerospace Engineering student from Dallas, Texas. As the Aerodynamics Lead, he is responsible for designing the aerodynamic components of the car.. Outside of understanding air, he enjoys traveling, singing whatever nonsense comes to mind, and communicating almost exclusively in GIFs. If he ever goes missing, check the nearest Chipotle.
Dhruv Srivastava
Composites
Dhruv is a third-year Aerospace Engineering student from Sugar Land, Texas, and currently serves as this year’s Composites Lead. You’ll usually find him vibing nonchalantly in the ASE or ETC, or tossing a football around Wampus. His favorite Red Bull flavor is Coconut Berry SugarFree, which (allegedly) tastes better when bought with Bevo Bucks at Jester Market.
Ryan Flick
Electronics
Ryan is a third-year, double majoring in Electrical and Computer Engineering and Business from Friendswood, Texas. He spends most of his time hunched over tangled bundles of wires in the garage office, fueled by a concerning amount of caffeine. When he’s not downing Red Bulls, you’ll likely find him pulling his hair out as the car’s electronics continue to cause problems. Fun fact: he can distinguish different brands of root beer by taste.
Ryan Gretta
Chief Engineer
Ryan Gretta is a third-year Mechanical Engineering student and Chief Engineer for Combustion. Born and raised in Austin, Texas, he stands at a staggering 6’8” (height still pending verification), using his vantage point to keep watch over every system. If you need his attention, simply mention ANSYS, he’ll instinctively raise his head and scan for the source.
Khoi Pham
Manufacturing
Khoi is a third-year Mechanical Engineering student from Allen, Texas, and Combustion’s Manufacturing Lead. A three-year veteran of the system, he’s the unsung hero behind the scenes, supporting design teams and solving integration issues as they arise. You’ll find him around the ETC jamming to music, hiding from schoolwork in the machine shop, or napping in the office.
Michael Davydov
Body
Michael is a second-year Mechanical Engineering student from Houston, Texas. As this year's Body Lead for Combustion, he oversees the frame and ergonomic components of the car. He’s always down to chat, whether it’s about paddle-shifter design, college football, or the newest mind-numbing trend circulating on Instagram Reels. Outside of LHR, Michael enjoys playing sports, lifting, and spending time with friends.
Edouard Oudinot
Dynamics
Edouard is a third-year Mechanical Engineering student from Houston, Texas, and this year’s Dynamics Lead. If you haven’t yet been nearly run over by his skateboard on campus, you can probably find him at the ETC or stealing someone's 3D printer time. Once he figures out how to make the car move forward, he’ll be hosting LHR members for tea, crumpets, and other delightful events.
Leon Wang
Powertrain
Leon is a third-year Mechanical Engineering student with a Robotics minor, currently serving as Powertrain Lead for the 2025–2026 season. Originally from Wylie, Texas, he enjoys biking, pickleball, and discussing random movies and shows. Outside of LHR, he’s also involved in ASME and TREL. Fun fact: Leon was #1 in the world several times for Town Halls 10 through14, IYKYK (#QVRRJUYRG).
Jonathan Kacines
Simulation and Validation
Jonathan Kacines is a fourth-year Mechanical Engineering student from Allen, Texas, and serves as this year’s Simulation and Validation System Lead for the 2025–2026 season. His interests include math, physics, robotics, and scientific computing. If he's not at home or on campus, you’ll probably find him at Austin Bouldering Project or waiting in line at Cabo Bob’s.
