Two Nascar Technical Institute Students Win A Jeff Gordon Racing School Package During The Mahle Clevite Engine Builder Showdown
Mooresville, NC, August 9, 2007 – James McMahen and Joshua McMillan
won a special contest for NASCAR Technical Institute (NTI) students
attending the eighth annual MAHLE Clevite Engine Builder Showdown.
McMahen and McMillan each won a Jeff Gordon Racing School package
valued at $399 each.
Several hundred students from NTI joined the crowd of nearly 1,500
fans on hand to watch the final round of the MAHLE Clevite Engine
Builder Showdown in which the final two NASCARâ engine building teams
faced off in a race to build and successfully run a NEXTELâ Cup
357-cubic-inch Ford engine in the shortest time possible.
The final two teams competing in this year’s Showdown included
Dennis Borem and Darrell Hoffman of Pro Motor Engines, and Kevin Webber
and Scott Vester of Hendrick Motorsports.
During a break in the Showdown action, Bill McKnight of MAHLE
Clevite Inc invited all NTI students possessing 4.0 grade point average
to join him on stage. Almost 20 students joined McKnight, who then
separated the students into two groups — one group of students from
Mooresville and other North Carolina communities, and the other group
of students attending NTI from out of state.
McKnight asked the students in both groups to guess how many
fasteners are used in the NEXTELâ Cup 357-cubic-inch Ford engine they
just saw assembled. McMahen, who is from Sublimity, OR; and McMillan,
who hails from Deep Gap, NC, came the closest in guessing the correct
answer of 184 fasteners.
McMahen enrolled in NTI’s “Automotive NASCAR Pit Crew” program in
January 2007. McMillan has been attending NTI since July 2006 and is in
the “Automotive NASCAR Ford Fact” program.
McKnight presented each of the winning students with a voucher for a
driving experience at the Jeff Gordon Racing School. The prize includes
driving instructions and the opportunity to drive a race-car at the
Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte. The prize also includes a graduate
certificate, printed lap times and a souvenir racing license.
“It was great to see so many NTI students at the Showdown,” says
McKnight. “NTI’s automotive technical training programs are outstanding
and the students who attend their classes are truly dedicated to
achieving excellence. Knowing how demanding NTI’s programs are, I was
especially surprised and impressed by the large number of students in
the audience carrying a 4.0 G.P.A.”
Through an exclusive educational alliance with NASCAR, NTI is the
only school of its kind that combines automotive training and a
NASCAR-approved technologies curriculum into one program. NTI is part
of Universal Technical Institute, Inc., a nationwide provider of
technical education training for students seeking careers as
profes-sional automotive, diesel, collision repair, motorcycle and
marine technicians. UTI’s Web site is www.uticorp.com.
MAHLE Clevite Inc. is one of the world’s largest suppliers of
pistons, valve train parts, engine bearings, piston rings, and engine
gaskets. MAHLE Clevite brands include MAHLE Original® pistons,
assemblies, valves, cylinder liners, Clevite® engine bearings and
engine parts, Victor Reinz® gaskets and Perfect Circle® piston rings.
In addition, Clevite®, Victor Reinz® and Perfect Circle® are official
NASCAR® Performance Products. MAHLE Clevite’s Internet address is www.engineparts.com.
The MAHLE Group is one of the 30 largest automotive suppliers
worldwide. As the leading manufacturer of combustion engine components,
systems and peripherals, MAHLE is among the top 3 suppliers for piston
systems, cylinder components, valve train systems via air management
systems and liquid management systems. MAHLE employs more than 40,000
employees in 110 production plants and in seven research and
development centers. In 2006, MAHLE generated sales in excess of EUR
4.3 billion (USD 5.8 billion).