by DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Sebastian Ray Serpa, a 16-year-old high school student from Volusia County, often passes Daytona International Speedway and hears the roar of race cars from outside the gates, but has never been inside the “world center of racing.” “
After an immersive experience on Friday aimed at talented STEM students, Ray Serpa will “definitely” return to the Rolex 24 at Daytona next week – his first-ever motorsports event.
IMSA arranged for 27 high school students pursuing outstanding STEM programs to attend the track to show the teens how many opportunities there are in motorsports for those interested in science, technology, engineering and math .
Ray Serpa, who described himself as a passionate mechanical engineer, was overwhelmed. He thought that in the future he would like to learn how the human joint works. After stops at four different stations and a tour of the racetrack and the cars, he now knows that motorsport is an option.
“That really opened my eyes,” he told The Associated Press. “I knew there was opportunity behind almost every concept, but I never realized how far-reaching it actually was. There are so many applications that require STEM skills. I’ve heard of marketing people who studied engineering and then became more comfortable with marketing. Or they still work hand in hand. I would really like to get to a point where I can say the same thing.”
It’s the program’s debut year in IMSA sports car racing, but series president John Doonan had a similar STEM experience when he was boss of Mazda. Introduction to IMSA required support from Gainbridge, Konica Minolta and EVERFi, who are working to develop the curriculum to continue the program.
Students made four stops along the route: Tires, Traction and Tread to learn about physics and engineering at the Michelin Tire Center; Data-Driven Racing at the IMSA Engineering Center to learn more about data, science and technology; Technical Safety at the IMSA Tech Inspection Area to learn more about materials science; and IMSA Technology Lab with the IMSA GTP Hybrid Electrified Race Car at Action Express Racing to learn about physics and engineering.
“What we do here is a laboratory. It is a laboratory for the car manufacturers. It’s a laboratory for Michelin on the tire front. It’s a laboratory for all these teams,” Doonan said. “The fact that students can see what they do in the classroom and apply it in a real-world setting brings great joy to me and all of my IMSA teammates.”
“These students here, some of the best students in Volusia County schools in the Daytona area, are our future. We will do this for five more races this year and then have a web portal to give educators and students the opportunity. For me it is the best of both worlds.”
Doonan, in his morning addresses to students, tried to prepare them for what they would learn about STEM and motorsports.
“I told them, ‘Look, algebra, calculus, physics, chemistry, as much as you don’t like it right now, it’s being applied here in real time,'” Doonan said. “And when you tell the students that, all the teachers raise their hands, cheer and tell them, ‘I told you so!’ And on the other hand, I think that once EVERFI’s web portal is up and running, teachers will be able to use this resource on story problems, race strategy and aerodynamics, possibly also ride height and all the things that make up the teams , to use.”
Amy Monahan, a K-12 STEM specialist for Volusia County Schools, said the participating students were chosen by their teachers because they “show tenacity in what they do every day.” One of the students said before Friday that he had thought about joining the military after high school, but was now wondering if there might be something in motorsports for him to pursue.
“This whole program educates them that there are a lot of options, and it’s in your backyard. “Some of them think the only jobs available to them are military or trade,” Monahan said. “You don’t know. Most of them have never been to a race, so they’ve seen this and what it looks like and have an understanding there. “There’s a lot of things to pursue, it’s just a wonderful gift for them.”
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AP Auto Racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
