MIS Racing - “It’s All About the Kids” at Madison International Speedway

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Madison International Speedway
Wisconsin's Fastest Half Mile

“It’s All About the Kids” at Madison International Speedway

By Amanda Voss

OREGON, WISCONSIN (07.12.10)-- “It’s all about the kids,” that is what Randy Dziadowicz western regional admissions manager of Ohio Technical College said about the ASA Educational Series at Madison International Speedway. This educational program is giving kids, who might not have the resources to go to college, the opportunity to attend one of the finest automotive technology schools in the country.

The ASA Educational Series started three years ago when OTC partnered with American Speed Association to offer an educational opportunity to future automotive technology students. The pilot season was 2009, and $250,000 in scholarship money was awarded between 22 students.

Madison International Speedway is the first ASA member track to participate in the ASA Educational Series program, and in its premier season 22 students joined the program. By the second year, through word of mouth and referrals, 26 students joined the program. Currently, there are 8 to 10 students from MIS attending OTC.

The ASA Educational Series benefits high school students. They partner with race teams at MIS and the stu¬dents earn points during the racing season. The more successful the team is the more points the student earns, which turns into scholarship money. Students that at least keep a log book and write an essay at the end of the year earns a $2,500 scholarship award. The student who earns first place in the program gets $10,000, the second place winner gets $7,000 and the third place winner gets $5,000. At the end of the season Dave Grueneberg, general manager of MIS, consults with race teams that have ASA Educational Series students and awards a $20,000 scholarship to an exemplary student.

ASA Educational Series Director Larry Pond said this program prepares high school students for a college career at OTC. The students get a taste of grass roots racing along with real world experience before they attend OTC. He also added that the students learn more in the ASA Educational Series then they would in a high school automotive technology class.

Pond went on to say that everyone benefits from this program and the benefits are nothing like he has seen before. The students gain experience in their field and earn scholarship money to attend OTC, MIS gets young people involved in racing and builds racers of the future, ASA benefits by getting young adults interested in ASA at a national level, and OTC benefits by getting the best students in the automotive technology field.

The program expanded to Dells Raceway Park in Wisconsin Dells, WI and the program is now spreading nationwide to four other regional ASA member tracks. By developing nationally, the ASA Educational Series is receiving national attention and was featured in Circle Track Magazine.

Ohio Technical College is located in Cleveland, OH and is an accredited private technical school. OTC offers a variety of programs including automotive, motorcycle, diesel equipment, classic car restoration and addi¬tional programs.

The ASA Racing series is a motorsports sanctioning body headquartered in Daytona Beach, FL. ASA sanc¬tions regional late model racing series, modifieds and sprint cars.

For more information on the ASA Educational Series visit www.asa-racing.com and click the ASA Education¬al