Seven students from the Universal Technical Institute’s (UTI) Houston campus will work on the pit crew for Truck Series racer Loni Richardson at tomorrow’s Craftsman Anniversary 200 at Darlington Raceway. Richardson – who will be racing the #73 Chevy truck sponsored by Intensitee Custom Race Wear, UTI and County Building Center – is a 12-year racing veteran who will be competing as a Raybestos rookie of the year contender at this year’s event. Ranging in age from 19-30, the students participating as the pit crew are: Jason Flamer, Theodore Brown, Jose Gonzalez, Ernest Herrera Jr., David Honea, Michael Kalassay and William McGoffin, who have been under the educational direction of UTI-Houston instructor Richard Hildebrandt. They will gain hands-on knowledge as they constitute a majority of Richardson’s pit crew during the race. Flamer was one of four students awarded the Dodge Diversity Scholarship for 2001 to attend UTI’s NASCAR program at the Houston campus. Created to cultivate minority participation in NASCAR and Dodge Motorsports, scholarship recipients are provided with the necessary education and training through UTI. The scholarship program prepares them to fill the many employment opportunities available as professional automotive technicians.(more info about the program on my Racing Schools/Jobs page). UTI, the exclusive educational partner of NASCAR, will open the first ever NASCAR Technical Institute in July 2002 in Mooresville, NC where an estimated 1900 students will train for careers in automotive technology annually.(NASCAR PR)(3-14-2002)
