The Motorsports Student

Your Guide to Motorsports Education and Jobs in Racing

Archive for December, 2010

ASA Student Educational Series Sees Growth in 2011

December 26th, 2010

A program that started as a pilot program at Madison International Speedway in 2008, the ASA-Student Educational Series will grow in 2011 to offer students from Ohio Technical College, a motorsports school, the opportunity to extend their education outside of the classroom and earn a motorsports scholarship.

Ohio Technical College came into the program as a partner in the series, which is licensed by the American Speed Association, in 2010. Participants must first be enrolled at Ohio Technical College to be a part of the ASA-Student Educational Series.

Image courtesy of The ASA-Student Educational Series

Students that take part in the ASA-Student Educational Series are given the opportunity to earn points based on their participation in racing activities that determine the value of scholarships that are applied to their motorsports education at Ohio Technical College. A total of $135,000 in motorsports scholarships have been distributed.

In order to participate in the program and earn scholarships, students work with race teams during the summer as they compete weekly at participating ASA member tracks. They complete a log book of their hours, activities and responsibilities, and complete an essay assignment at the beginning and end of the summer detailing their experience, what they expect to learn, the results of their training and how they will apply it to their motorsports engineering and automotive education.

Students apply the scholarships earned as a result of their summer experiences to programs at Ohio Technical College, including Automotive, Diesel, Auto-Diesel, Collision, Restoration, PowerSports, Manufacturing, and Welding.

The American Speed Association started as a single racing series in 1968 and is now a fast growing racing sanctioning body. The ASA Member Track program is comprised of asphalt and dirt short tracks along with road courses around the United States, as well as a variety of regional and national touring series. ASA-Student Educational Series expects to see growth in the number of ASA Member Tracks offering programs, as well as the number of student participants.

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Posted in Motorsports Education, Ohio Technical College, Scholarships

NASCAR Technical Institute Breakdown

December 20th, 2010

Location: Mooresville, NC

Degree: NASCAR automotive technology certificate

Admissions: Open enrollment, no deadline. Classes start every six weeks.

Application Fee: No

Tuition: Ranges from $18,000 to $43,000 per year

Financial Aid: Available by filling out the FAFSA

Scholarships: Need-based, Federal and Private available

NASCAR Technology Training Program:

UTI’s NASCAR Technology Training Program is a 48-week core program that teaches students general Automotive Technology with a NASCAR racing component. Students will be trained to troubleshoot, service and repair automobiles and ultimately learn advanced techniques for building and testing a competitive NASCAR engine.

UTI’s hands-on labs are state-of-the-industry classrooms where students will find equipment and instructors ready to prepare them for a great career as a NASCAR technician.

Scholarships are available through the UTI Foundation Scholarship Fund, which can be viewed at: http://www.utifoundation.net/UTI-Foundation/Scholarships-Grants. While many scholarships are earmarked for certain criteria, for example military veterans or those attending a particular campus, many are available for those who need a motorsports scholarship or racing-related grant.

Learn more about a motorsports education and careers in racing today at: http://www.uti.edu/Programs/NASCAR.

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Posted in Motorsports Education, NASCAR, Scholarships

Tags: Certificate Program NASCAR Technical Institute North Carolina

Racing Video of the Week: Rider Racing Engines Shop Tour

December 15th, 2010

If you’re interested in learning about how engines work for your motorsports education, this is a great video walk-through of the Rider Racing Engines shop with Tom Rider. Tom shows us the entire process of rebuilding a sprint car engine, from when the motor arrives at the shop to putting the finished engine on a dyno.

Some of the things Tom talks about are the processes for inspecting the crankshaft and other engine parts for cracks, cleaning the parts, the machines where the engine block has its cylinders honed to get the proper ring seal, final assembly, preparation for the dyno, and the dyno process itself.

If you’re interested in sprint car engines specifically, you’ll notice that Tom mentions one of the major differences between 360 engines and 410 engines (besides the cubic inches): the block and head material. 360 engines have a cast iron block and aluminum cylinder heads while 410 engines have an aluminum block and aluminum heads, significantly reducing the weight of the engine in a 410 sprint car.

This is a great video for those pursuing a degree in motorsports engineering or mechanical engineering and has interest in motorsports jobs, specifically motorsports engineering jobs, and careers in racing.

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Posted in Careers in Motorsports, Dirt Track Racing, Racing Videos

IUPUI teams up with USAC for Motorsports Engineering Program

December 11th, 2010

IUPUI and the United States Auto Club (USAC) have announced a partnership that will offer IUPUI Motorsports Engineering students the opportunity to assist in managing and promoting nine USAC Midget Series events at the Speedrome in Indianapolis in 2011.

Students from the Motorsports Engineering Program in the School of Engineering and Technology at IUPUI will work alongside USAC staff and officials in USAC Regional and National Midgets Series events. Some learning opportunities include areas such as journalism/public relations, marketing/promotions, graphic design and media, in addition to performing technical inspection and timing and scoring duties on race days.

Internships credits will be offered for Motorsports Engineering students who participate in the USAC events. Students will be prepared for motorsports careers and careers in racing by seeing the ins and outs of running an established sanctioning body and executing race events.

Because practical experience is extremely important to a well-rounded motorsports education, IUPUI and other programs are offering more opportunities for students to get involved in racing beyond traditional experiences.

Learn more about motorsports engineering and auto racing schools in our Schools section.

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Posted in Careers in Motorsports, Dirt Track Racing, Motorsports Education, Motorsports Engineering, USAC

Tags: BS Motorsports Engineering Indiana IUPUI

Job Opportunity: NASCAR Official (Part Time)

December 7th, 2010

If you’re interested in careers in racing, NASCAR is one of the top employers in the U.S. There are many different roles you can take on, both technical and nontechnical, with NASCAR and other sanctioning bodies.

Currently, NASCAR has a job opening for a part-time official for their National Touring Series. The job description is below.

From NASCAR: “We are seeking qualified candidates for Part Time Official openings with our National Touring Series (Northern Modifieds, K&N Pro Series East and West). These positions are responsible for learning, understanding and enforcing the NASCAR Rulebook in a consistent, timely, and professional manner as it applies to inspection and race procedures. Will maintain proper communication with assigned crew chiefs and/or Race Control. Must have good written and oral communication skills, and experience/education in the field of mechanics.”

This would be a great part-time position for anyone who wishes to exercise their mechanical engineering or motorsports engineering degree in an applied racing environment.

You can learn about other motorsports careers, apply for this job or get more information here: http://nascar.teamworkonline.com/teamwork/jobs/jobs.cfm/Competition-Officiating?supcat=1397.

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Posted in Careers in Motorsports, NASCAR

Book Review: Dirt Track Chassis and Suspension

December 6th, 2010

If you’re interested in learning more about dirt track racing and motorsports careers, reading books about the industry is a good way to gain technical insights, from racing basics to advanced information, and big picture information on how different racecars work. Reading racing books is an especially smart way to use your offseason time to widen your motorsports education if you can’t get into a garage and tear some equipment apart yourself.

One of the books we’ve turned to over and over again throughout the years is Dirt Track Chassis and Suspension by the editors of Circle Track Magazine. Dirt Track Chassis and Suspension isn’t your typical textbook-style read: it’s actually a compilation of magazine articles that discuss the basics of dirt track chassis theory and design, setups, tuning and driving. While the book is geared mainly towards e-mods, modifieds, and late models, there is information about sprint car chassis’ as well.

Even though a lot of the information is geared towards one type of racing, Dirt Track Chassis and Suspension is designed to provide an overall feel for the technology that you could apply to any dirt race car. Like courses you’d take at a racing school or in a motorsports engineering program, you’ll get practical information mixed in with your theoretical background.

Dirt Track Chassis and Suspension is a great holiday gift – and a great offseason read. I know we’ve enjoyed it! If you’re looking for other great off-season reads, check out our Resources page.

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Posted in Motorsports Education

IUPUI Announces Motorsports Engineering Scholarship

December 3rd, 2010

IUPUI will announce today at the International Motorsports Industry Show (IMIS) the creation of a scholarship program for the motorsports engineering program in conjunction with CARA Charities. The announcement will be made at the inaugural IUPUI-sponsored IMIS Youth Safety Program.

The CARA Motorsports Scholarship is available for traditional, full-time students that are admitted directly into the Motorsports Engineering Program at IUPUI. Preference will be given to students that have demonstrated commitment to community by volunteering for a charitable organization.

CARA Charities was founded in 1981 as the Championship Auto Racing Auxiliary by the wives of legendary IndyCar drivers in an effort to promote auto racing and engage in charitable activities. Today, CARA Charities operates as one of the longest-running charitable organizations in open-wheel motorsports.

In 2008, IUPUI, a leading auto racing school, became the first university in the United States to offer a bachelor’s degree in motorsports engineering, and the university continues to improve and develop motorsports education programs to encompass various aspects of the sport. From a 4-year Bachelor of Science degree in Motorsports Engineering and a Motorsports Technology Certificate offered by the Purdue School of Engineering and Technology at IUPUI, to a variety of racetrack opportunities and outstanding internship placements, the motorsports programs at IUPUI continue to thrive.

For more information about motorsports at IUPUI, visit The Motorsports Student’s Schools page.