By SEMA Editors
 Team Howards Cams from Lakeshore High School in Stevensville, Michigan, came in first place last weekend with a time of 18:05. |
The Hot Rodders of Tomorrow (HROT) Engine Challenge’s second event of the 2017 season was held at the Summit Piston Powered AutoRama in Cleveland, Ohio, last weekend, where four of nine teams qualified for the Dual National Championship held at the SEMA Show and PRI Trade Show later this year.
To qualify, a team must finish disassembling and reassembling a small-block Chevrolet engine in less than 33 minutes, including penalties.
Both the fourth- and fifth-place teams were from Elkhart Area Career Center in Elkhart, Indiana. They were teams Proform (26:38) and Thermotec (28:03), respectively.
In third place was Team Canton Racing from CD Hylton High School in Woodbridge, Virginia, with a time of 24:47. Kevin Griese from Team Canton racing mentioned, “Hot Rodders has given me lots of opportunities to make scholarship money and given me the opportunity to go to a tech school of my choice.”
In second place was Team Meziere from Burton Center for Arts & Tech in Salem, Virginia, with a time of 20:27.
The first-place team, Howards Cams from Lakeshore High School in Stevensville, Michigan, had already qualified earlier this year at the Race & Performance Expo, but improved their time to 18:05, shaving more than two minutes from their previous time of 20:06.
The Hot Rodders of Tomorrow Junior Engine Challenge presented by Racequip at the Summit Piston Powered AutoRama attracted many younger racing fans. The contest requires that each team be comprised of two individuals; one team member must be 5–18 years of age, and he or she must completely disassemble and reassemble a complete single-cylinder OHV engine utilizing only basic hand tools.
The next Hot Rodders of Tomorrow competition will be held March 25, 2017, at Tarrant County College in Fort Worth, Texas. Another group of teams will compete for a chance to qualify for the National Dual Championships.
Visit www.hotroddersoftomorrow.com for more information and to view last weekend’s complete results.
For additional information about starting a team or sponsorship opportunities, contact Rodney Bingham at rbingham@hotroddersoftomorrow.com or call 815-722-5460.