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Academy of Motorsports Aims to Position Students Ahead of the Curve
academy of motorsports, arrington manufacturing, bobby hamilton racing virginia, carlisle school, irginia international raceway, old dominion university and patrick henry community college, virginia tech,
It’s not wise to eat, drink or talk on the phone behind the wheel, but what about studying?
Hitting the books while making a turn probably won’t happen much at the Academy of Motorsports, but the new venture’s students will spend plenty of time on each activity. The new academy has partnered with VIRginia International Raceway and the Carlisle School and is working with other organizations such as Bobby Hamilton Racing-Virginia to make that happen.
“We wanted to be associated with a local team, and we also wanted to work with Bobby Hamilton Racing Virginia because of their association with Arrington Manufacturing,” says Ken Martin, project manager for the academy. “This partnership connects us with several entities, and we’ll be able to take students to see real-life demonstrations.”
Other academy partners include Virginia Tech, Old Dominion University and Patrick Henry Community College. In addition to VIR, students also will spend time at South Boston Speedway and Martinsville Speedway.
Academy students will spend the morning at the Carlisle School for their regular schoolwork, then move to VIR for hands-on studies.
“They’ll be attending an outstanding private school, and then have motorsports as their athletics selection, much like the way a golf or tennis academy operates,” Martin says.
Besides driving instruction and exploring the mechanical side of racing, students also will delve into the off-track side of the business, learning about everything from gathering sponsorships to public relations and advertising.
Story by Joe Morris
