NASCAR Tech ready for classes

When it officially begins classes this summer, the NASCAR Technical Institute in Mooresville, N.C., will address the shortage of automotive technicians by boosting the number of professional technicians entering the workforce.

NASCAR Technical Institute is the country's first technical training school to combine a complete automotive and motorsports technology program and carry the NASCAR name.

Created through a partnership of NASCAR and the Universal Technical Institute, Inc., the nation's leading provider of automotive technical training, the school is capable of training 1,900 students a day and will employ about 150 employees.

In this exclusive interview with Dennis Hendrix, Director of the NASCAR Technical Institute, we ask many of the questions about the school and the NASCAR focus that you may have.

Q: How will the NASCAR Technical Institute differ from a traditional automotive training facility?

A: Being the "exclusive educational partner of NASCAR" we are the only school that has the use of the NASCAR name.

Once you have visited our NASCAR Technical Institute campus, you can see the NASCAR added benefits throughout the campus, but what does this mean to our students? Many of the building materials and components used in the construction of the facility have been upgraded and we have also been able to acquire sponsorships from many of the NASCAR licensees to provide the best equipment and training aids.

We also have some companies providing diversity scholarship programs to this campus. With an improved facility, more and better training aids and ongoing assistance from sponsors, as well as additional scholarship support, our students will receive a high quality education.

Q: Will the course content be exclusively NASCAR related?

A: We are offering two programs at NASCAR Technical Institute: The Automotive/NASCAR Technology program is 57 weeks in length, and the Automotive/NASCAR/Ford FACT program is 69 weeks in length.

Both courses offer 39 weeks of the traditional automotive service technology followed by 18 weeks of NASCAR specific curriculum. The Ford FACT portion offers 12 weeks of Ford Motor Company product specific training after the NASCAR courses.

Q: What are the prospects for employment in the automotive service industry after graduation?

A: Prospects for employment in the automotive service industry are very good from a national standpoint. Our students will be coming from all over the country, so the search for graduate employment assistance will be nationwide.

Q: Who is an eligible student to enroll at NASCAR Technical Institute. Is anyone too old?

A: There is no maximum age limit to attend NASCAR Technical Institute. We do require that applicants be at least 16 years of age, and have a high school diploma or GED.

Q: Who are some of the NASCAR licensees who will be assisting with the school. How will they help?

A: There are several companies that have already committed to sponsoring the school and many that are expressing interest in working with us at this time.

Some of those that will be partnering with us are: Jasper Engines & Transmissions will provide engines and transmissions and special event participation; Lincoln Electric will supply welders and instructor training, as well as the welding curriculum; Dynojet will provide the chassis dyno along with instructor training; 3M Automotive is donating various adhesives and cleaning products through their Aftermarket Division.

Q: Will they be helping to structure courses? Offering faculty?

A: Basically, the 39-week Automotive Technology portion of the program has been developed and improved over many years and is the same program that we use at our other campuses. The new 18-week NASCAR Technology portion of the program is being developed now.

I recently hired John Dodson, who has 20 plus years in the NASCAR industry, as our Senior Education Manager for NASCAR. He will work our curriculum department in developing the NASCAR curriculum. And we'll use the expertise of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series Crew Chief Club in the curriculum development process.

Our instructors will come from the industry. All of our instructors for the traditional automotive service courses must be ASE certified in the areas that they teach, and have a minimum of 5 years industry experience.

The instructors who will teach the NASCAR courses must have a minimum of 5 years motorsports industry experience in their areas of instruction as well. All new instructors will go through a vigorous training schedule before stepping in to teach a class.

Q: John Dodson, you have a history with NASCAR. Please explain your credentials and what you feel these will mean to students?

A: I have over 20 years of experience in the NASCAR racing industry as both crewmember and team manager. A few highlights of my career include: 30 NASCAR Winston Cup wins, NASCAR Winston Cup Championship with Rusty Wallace in 1989, several radio and television interviews pertaining to Winston Cup topics, and live radio commentary.

My technical skills include fabrication, in all areas of the English Wheel, Mig & Tig welding and all aspects of wind tunnel aerodynamic research, equipment maintenance, race shop management, car maintenance and Winston Cup team operations.

My background and experiences will allow me to relate the real world of the motorsports industry, as well as pass on my technical knowledge to our students.

Q: Are local race teams interested in helping with the school?

A: Yes, very much so. Many teams have already donated product and many more are holding parts and components for us. We also are continuing to develop more relationships with the local race teams, as well as promoting cooperative efforts. We believe that we will have plenty of interest to also support some guest speaking engagements as well as future special events.

Q: Will all manners of vehicle repair – import and domestic, as well as light and medium trucks – be covered by the curriculum?

A: The curriculum will cover all manners of vehicle repair for both import and domestic products, and light duty trucks. Medium duty trucks and diesel engines are not included in the programs at this campus, but are offered at other campuses within the UTI system.

Q: Will other UTI schools continue to offer NASCAR training?

A: At this point, the Mooresville campus will be the focal point for the NASCAR courses and students interested in those courses will be enrolled for our campus. We're not discounting the future possibility of another campus offering the same or similar programs.

Q: Will the NASCAR portion be offered as a separate training program or only as part of the full program?

A: The NASCAR courses are part of the entire 57 or 69-week programs, and are not offered separately.

Q: What prior training is required for students?

A: Students do not need prior training to attend the school, however many do have some prior automotive training. Our programs are designed to prepare our graduates as entry-level technicians.

We expect to see varying levels of mechanical ability in our student population when they start school. Our courses are designed to bring those with no prior training up to minimum level required by industry standards, as well as helping those who do have some experience and training to further develop their skills.

Q: Can anyone get in or do they need "racing references?"

A: Applicants do not need racing, or any other referrals. They need to be at least 16 years of age and have a high school diploma or GED and the desire to succeed in the exciting automotive industry.