Students from the Burton Center for Arts and Technology (BCAT) Hot Rodders of Tomorrow motorsports team recently had the opportunity to visit BK Racing in Charlotte.
They were in Mooresville, N.C., on April 8 for the UTI/NASCAR Technical Institute Qualifier competition and worked the tour into their schedule.
The BCAT team won the National Hot Rodders of Tomorrow Engine Challenge for 2016 in Indianapolis in December– their second national championship.
The tour was put together by Dr. Richard Turner, former principal at William Byrd High School, who is based at BCAT this year working with the Career and Technical Education (CTE) program. Chris Overfelt is the welding and motorsports instructor at BCAT and coaches the championship team.
BK Racing is a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Toyota Racing team headquartered in Charlotte, founded in 2012 by owners Ron Devine and Wayne Press. Dr. Turner met Devine when their children were students at James Madison University and they served on the Parents Council. That led to his role with the race team involving marketing, occasionally working with the pit crew, and recruiting and hosting sponsors.
“Back in the fall, Chris Overfelt starting talking to me about the engine competition in Mooresville on April 8 and we started talking about a tour at the BK Racing shop,” said Turner. “The general manager of BK Racing (Ryan Dubois) gave me his approval and I put the tour together.
“As we got into the winter, the CTE General Advisory Committee at Burton started working on what we are calling Tech Tours,” explained Turner. “Several of the programs at Burton have been involved in Tech Tours visiting a variety of businesses. The trip to BK Racing has also become a Tech Tour.”
Overfelt has a motorsports instructor friend in Chambersburg, Pa., who also has an engine team and permission was given for his group to join the BCAT tour at BK Racing.
“The tour was divided into five segments,” said Turner. “I gave a brief introduction. Doug Fritz, our chief marketing officer (and former president of Richmond International Raceway) gave a talk about sponsorship with use of one of our race cars as a demonstration. Doug Richert, our competition director (and former crew chief for Dale Earnhardt Sr.) gave a complete shop tour explaining all components of car construction. Eric (our team painter) gave a tour of the paint shop and explained his job. I finished the tour summarizing the event.”
“Having a chance to see a working Monster Energy shop (NASCAR) is a chance in a lifetime for some of my students,” said Overfelt. “Having someone like Dr. Turner who works for this team opened the doors for us to see behind the front doors.”
Overfelt said, “The kids asked great questions and learned from one of the team’s welders that you should never stop learning and to always practice-practice-practice–which is what I always tell my students.”
Overfelt’s Hot Rodders team placed second in the competition on April 8. The first place team at the competition, the automotive team led by Steve Hoback, was also from BCAT.
“I’ve been talking to several NASCAR marketing officials about including more students in our sport,” said Turner. “Two NASCAR officials joined the tour at my invitation and participated with our students.”