Michael Chow | USC student
While NASCAR Cup Series drivers are set to take on the new track at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum February 5-6, high school students from the nearby Boys & Girls Clubs of Carson took time on Saturday to get a behind-the-scenes glance.
NASCAR hosted 20 members of the local Boys & Girls Club for an inside look of the .25-mile, temporary asphalt oval inside the home of the University of Southern California football team. The students received a detailed tour of the ongoing construction from Martin Flugger, NASCAR vice president of engineering services, design and development, and learned about the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) involved in the build process.
The timing of the visit allowed the students to see firsthand the process of installing the SAFER barriers, an important innovation designed to help keep drivers safe if a collision with the wall occurs.
RELATED: Photos from Boys and Girls Clubs of Carson Coliseum visit
“Being able to see the track in action being built, all of the engineering behind it and all the people involved in this was an amazing experience for our kids,” said Kim Richards, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Carson, located 15 miles south of the Coliseum. “We don’t usually have access to real-life application in terms of the things that they’re learning, so something like this is invaluable.”
Through its national partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America, NASCAR recently launched a ‘Design a Racetrack’ activity on MyFuture, the club’s digital learning platform. The content teaches club youth all about racetracks – the various track types, surfaces and degrees of banking. Before Saturday’s tour, members of the Carson club were challenged with designing their own tracks.
“The MyFuture experience was really fun,” said Irene, 17, who attended the event on Saturday. “To be able to do it myself made me feel like I could be part of building a track of my own one day.”
For most of the kids, the visit to L.A. Memorial Coliseum marked the first time stepping foot on a race track. The experience was eye-opening for Joze, 18, and his fellow club members.
“I’ve never been exposed to this before,” said Joze, who lives in Carson. “I learned so much including that it’s not just the car and the driver that makes the sport, it’s the track as well. I’m really excited to come back and see how all this work comes to fruition.”
NASCAR will host the same group from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Carson at the Coliseum on Feb. 5 for Cup Series practice, a follow-up experience focused on introducing the kids to the various roles across the NASCAR industry as well as the personalities behind them. The club kids and staff will also receive tickets to The Clash on Feb. 6.
“The STEM applications are really important, but this partnership is also about career development and making sure these kids learn about all the roles and opportunities that exist for them in our sport,” said Erica Wilkerson, who leads youth marketing for NASCAR.
“To be here on the track and talk to people at NASCAR who are behind the scenes, it plants the seed for our kids in terms of what’s possible in the future,” added Richards.
Boys & Girls Clubs of America was announced last April as the Official Youth Community Partner of NASCAR. The partnership extends across all NASCAR tracks and platforms and is centered around virtual and at-track opportunities for club kids that let them experience the thrill of the sport up close.
The collaboration emphasizes career development and mentoring across a breadth of industry disciplines, including engagement with industry executives and other employees, providing a diverse and inclusive environment in the process.
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