– First student-built engine debuted at recent NASCAR Camping World Series East Event –
MOORESVILLE, NC, August 1, 2008 — A team of NASCAR Technical Institute (NASCAR Tech) students in Mooresville, NC recently built their first official NASCAR-spec engine which, in partnership with Carl Wegner and Wegner Motorsports, debuted at the NASCAR Camping World Series East event, the US Cellular 200 on May 15, 2008. The engine powered the No. 51 Kyle Busch Foundation/Electric Sunglasses Toyota driven by Alex Haase for Kyle Busch Motorsports.
Kyle Busch, current NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points leader, along with his father, Tom Busch, inked the deal with NASCAR Tech, a division of Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE: UTI), that enables its qualified students to put their skills to the test and gain real-world experience while learning engine building for a professional team.
“We are extremely pleased with our car’s performance in the U.S. Cellular 200 at Iowa Speedway,” said Tom Busch. “I think we had the best engine at the track. NASCAR Tech has done an awesome job of assembling and providing this team with reliable horsepower. We look forward to having their expertise in building additional engines for our team."
The success of this alliance has been taken to the next step. NASCAR Tech has implemented the new NASCAR-spec engine building class into the curriculum, which is currently open to students by invitation only. Students invited to participate must hold a 3.8 GPA or higher and have earned at least a 98 percent in professionalism and attendance records.
“Eventually we would like to see this course opened to all students in the future,” said John Dodson, Community/NASCAR Team Relations director.
“The NASCAR Tech students who earned this opportunity will learn first-hand the teamwork it takes to pull together a NASCAR engine for one of the country’s top NASCAR teams,” said Glen Feiste, NASCAR Tech education manager, who spearheaded the newly-formed agreement. “We have constructed a remarkable facility at NASCAR Tech to assemble the engines and the students who are participating in the project are living a dream.”
NASCAR Tech is on pace to build additional engines for Kyle Busch Motorsports this year. Approximately three to four students will work on each engine built for the Camping World Series East, including the New Hampshire International Speedway, Adirondack International Speedway and Lime Rock Park races.
About NASCAR Technical Institute
NASCAR Technical Institute (NASCAR Tech), a division of Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (UTI), has an exclusive educational alliance with NASCAR. Located in Mooresville, NC, NASCAR Tech is the only school of its kind that combines automotive training and a NASCAR-approved technologies curriculum into one program. Students learn the basics of engine construction, lubrication systems, chassis fabrication, dyno testing, racing theory principles, NASCAR rules and regulations, as well as the teamwork needed in today's automotive and racing industries. Universal Technical Institute, Inc. a leading provider of technical education training for students seeking careers as professional automotive, diesel, collision repair, motorcycle and marine technicians, also offers undergraduate degree, diploma and certificate programs at nine other campuses through several well-known brands -- Universal Technical Institute (UTI), Marine Mechanics Institute and Motorcycle Mechanics Institute (MMI) -- and manufacturer-sponsored advanced programs at 18 dedicated training centers. For more information, visit www.uti.edu.
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