Racing Teams with Educators to Promote Engineering Careers(posted Sept 22) It is unexplainable that the World's Capital of Auto Racing does not attract more local people into the career of racing. Most kids do not think about motor sports as career other than a driving or being part of a pit crew, so setting a career goals in this field does not seem enter the equation when thinking of career opportunities. Panther Racing intends to change the mindset with its future Panther Education Center. Some of the problems are that racing is no longer close and personal like it was in the 1970s. It is difficult to establish relationships that are vital to break into the business, especially with sponsorship. Many of the business relationships are formed on the basis of who you know. The motorsports industry is bigger than that. According to Mike Kitchel, Panther Racing director of public relations, it takes about 2,000 people to make a 20 car race series happen. Panther Racing has partnered with MSD of Decatur Township and the Superintendent Ron Stinson to provide an education center and curriculum geared toward motor sports. Kitchel said that John Barnes, owner of Panther Racing, created the center with the intentions of making a difference in someone's life by planting a seed to a career opportunity with open wheel racing. Kitchel said that NASCAR's popularity has detracted from open wheel racing. The goal is that in 10 years after these students have participated in the education center they will be back knocking on Panther Racing's door for a job. The facility is not constructed yet but it will be located near Panther Racing at 5101 Decatur Boulevard. The education center is modeled after the Challenger Centers that promote space and sciences to middle students. The motorsports center will focus on group of students from sixth to eighth grade to bring real world applications to their academics. The interactive curriculum is in the design phase with the intentions that it will be ready for testing by January. The curriculum development has involved Pathways Productions and two Decatur teachers. The three hour program is broken into four stations so students can see how their math and language arts skills are applicable to the real world of engineering, media/communications, logistics/ financing and the garage area. The garage area will teach them about the aspects of being a mechanic. "Our goal is to catch them early about job opportunities with motorsports," Kitchel said, in order to help provide them with a direction in high school and college. Panther Racing was at the Sept 19 IUPUI School of Engineering third annual Motorsports Open House on that was organized by Terri Talbert-Hatch Assistant Dean for Student Services of IUPUI School of Engineering. IUPUI is in the process of developing a bachelor of science program in motor sports. If approved, it will be the second university in the nation to offer the program. Talbert-Hatch is also working out the possibilities of sending students over to Motegi for the IRL race through establishing a relationship with Nissan. They would have the opportunity to experience the race and visit Nissan. Talbert-Hatch agreed that motorsports has attracted more out of state students than locals. Hatch said she recruited Lynsey Tilton from San Diego. For Tilton, it was necessity to transfer to Indiana if she wanted to continue racing, Racing dried up in San Diego so she was traveling to Arizona twice a month to race. Tilton is excited about the numerous races that allows her to compete every weekend. She does not plan to lose her competitive edge this winter since she has discovered a place in Illinois that has indoor racing. Tilton is practicing what Panther Racing Driver Vitor Meira preached at the open house. "There really is no off season because if you stop today someone else will be working." Talbert- Hatch recruited Lynsey from a Lyn St. James Driver Development Program that teaches up and coming drivers about business side of racing,such as how to establish relationships with sponsors. Tilton affirmed that racing has been a passion with her since she started racing motorcycles at the age of 4 and progressed to midgets. Kitchel explained that public relationships in racing is crucial for garnering sponsorships. He noted the deals can vary between sponsors. Some sponsors are involved in racing to develop cross business opportunities, citing that Target is excellent at forging cross business opportunities. Kitchel is also responsible for balancing the drivers time with spending time with sponsors' functions as well as promoting corporate merchandise. |
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