Steven Criscoe knows that in order to have a successful career in NASCAR, he's going to have to get his hands dirty.

The 16-year-old aspiring engine builder from Charlotte, N.C., did exactly that during a recent trip to Hendrick Motorsports, where he and dozens of other teenagers from the Boys and Girls Club spent an entire day observing the inner workings of NASCAR's premier racing operation.

Decked out in colorful neon T-shirts, much like the colors on Hendrick's No. 5 Kellogg's CARQUEST Chevrolet, the group interviewed crew chief Alan Gustafson, toured the hauler that houses race-day operations and even helped out with pit practice.

"This is pretty cool, we really get to see the working conditions of a crew and see how the team works," said Criscoe, as he eagerly listened to Hendrick engineers describe how an engine is tuned and built for race day. "This helps me know what I want to do."

More and more, NASCAR and its army of teams are reaching out to local and national youth in hopes of exposing them to a sport full of opportunity.

For NASCAR, the youth movement hopes to appeal to an untapped fan base and the teams see an opportunity to fill high-tech and exciting careers within their organizations.

When the day began, the majority of the group likely didn't know what the acronym "NASCAR" stood for, but by the end of the day, Hendrick Motorsports surely had a new and strong following in the teens from the Boys and Girl Club.

Haley Mullins of Concord, N.C., is only 11 years old, but she already has an idea of what she wants to be when she is older. And after watching a 3,500-pound stock car go tearing by fast enough to blow the blonde hair from her eyes, NASCAR could be an option.

Outside of the multi-acre racing complex, Casey Mears' No. 25 crew worked on pit stops. They prepare for everything, and on this day the crew worked on angled approaches in case the car is forced into an awkward angle when making a pit stop.

Once the crew had satisfactory pit stop times -- between 13 and 14 seconds -- the car was turned over to teenagers, including Mullins.

"I can't believe they let us use the air gun," she smiled. "They change those tire so fast, maybe I'll be able to change my own tires now."

Making lasting impressions like these is why the staff at Hendrick Motorsports opens its doors, when time allows, to groups like the Boys and Girls Club.

Crew chief Gustafson said reaching out to teens is a way of communicating the importance of education.

"The big message I like to get out to them is take advantage of the time you have in school. Put the effort in and get the most you can out of it," he said.

Dean Mozingo, a Hendrick Motorsports transport driver, said it's a chance to be a mentor, something he too had as a child that proved to be beneficial in his career path.

"Growing up, I worked for a guy on a farm who taught me how to be responsible and hopefully the kids can come in here and see how we work and it gives them goals to shoot for and maybe it can make a difference," said Mozingo, who showed the group how he packs and prepares the transporter that hauls the necessary equipment -- radios, crew uniforms, back-up engine -- for the race weekend.

His hauler, an 80-foot, brightly colored garage on wheels with an upper deck that can carry two stock cars, is his home most of the year.

As the day-long tour of the Hendrick Motorsports complex ended, the group feasted on pizza and was treated to free trinkets and gifts from the teams and CARQUEST.