May 4, 2000

Car Club gets in gear

By Garret Leiva
Herald editor
       Using a #2 pencil and a calculator to learn about the laws of physics behind internal combustion can feel like work. Using a 1/2" socket and a ratchet wrench can turn around students and their ideas about school.
      After all, it's not every after-school activity that uses WD-40 to solve sticky problems. Then again, it's hard to loosen a harmonic balancer bolt with a graphing calculator.
      Formed earlier this year, the Traverse City Central High School Trojan Car Club is a collaboration between Central High and the Traverse City Police Department. Getting an auto club up and running was the idea of teacher Reggie Horning and school Liaison Officer Dennis Padgett.
      "We wanted to start a club that would involve kids normally not involved in other after-school activities," said Horning, who participated in a drag racing car club while in high school.
      Both avid automobile buffs, Padgett and Horning decided to share their passion with students in a proactive and positive manner. This meant building up students' self-esteem and concepts of teamwork by tearing down a 350 small block Chevy.
      Since there are several dirt oval tracks in the area, the auto club brought Traverse City Police Officer George Preston, a local circle track hero, onto the team's consultant board. This collaboration between school and police exposed youth to positive adult role models as they worked knuckle-deep in building a race car.
      "My biggest concern is that all kids have an equal opportunity to pursue what they really enjoy," Padgett noted. "Starting a club gives kids with a true interest in cars an avenue they can pursue in a positive manner."
      A large part of that pursuit is the club's 1984 Buick Regal race car. Outfitted with a 350 small block Chevy, the car will run in the Bomber Class at Cherry Speedway. Car Club members have thus far disassembled the body and chassis along with tearing down the entire motor. Both the car and motor were donated by local businesses.
      "We're at the point where everything is torn apart and we're just now starting to put things back together," said Horning, who noted that a driver will be selected from the top five students in the club based on attendance, participation and lap times on the test track.
      "They were making fun of me when I had them tag all the bolts and put them in baggies. They'll be glad, however, when it comes time to put it all back together."
      While it takes a torque wrench and ample elbow grease to rebuild a car engine, it also requires cash. Along with drumming up local business support and national automotive parts company sponsorships, the Trojan Car Club held its first-ever "Spring Dust-Off Cycle and Car Show" fund-raiser Sunday in the school parking lot.
      Featuring more than 70 entries, the car and motorcycle show and swap meet awarded prizes in 12 different categories. Money raised through entry fees and concession sales benefited the Car Club's race car buildup.
      Wearing his new "Trojan Racing" jacket, Car Club member Noah Bartnick said the after-school activity fits perfectly with his post-graduation career goals.
      "I've always liked cars and I'm not really involved in school otherwise, so I though it would be a real good thing to do," said the high school senior, who is enrolled in the automotive program at Traverse Bay Area Career Tech Center.
      "I just like turning wrenches," he noted.
      Jason Wilson also likes getting his fingernails dirty turning wrenches. "It sounded interesting: build a car and race it," said Wilson, who is also active in athletics at school.
      Drawing from a diverse group of students, Padgett noted that reaction to the Trojan Car Club has been "truly amazing."
      "We have been able to put kids together, with a common goal being cars, that may have never said 'hi' to each other before at school," Padgett said.
      While students have learned to use a micrometer and Plasticgauge, building a race car also provides valuable decision making beyond manual or electronic choke carburetors.
      "You hear a lot about kids drinking and smoking. Here, they make a choice, 'I don't want to do that because I need to save money to buy that Carter intake or a set of headers,'" said Horning, who noted that all club members must attend school regularly and abstain from alcohol and drugs.
      "It gives them a focus for that restless youth energy."