The Hot Rodders of Tomorrow Engine Challenge’s first event of 2017 season was held at the 10th Annual Race & Performance Expo in Schaumburg, IL, where 30 teams competed and seven advanced to the Dual National Championship, which will be held later this year at the SEMA and PRI shows.
To qualify for the Dual National Championship a team must finish under 33 minutes including penalties.
In fourth place came Team Centerforce from South Elgin High School in South Elgin, IL, with a time of 23:46. Their coach Steve Schertz commented, “Being involved with Hot Rodders of Tomorrow program helped double the female students enrolled in my overall automotive class.”
Coming in third place with a time of 20:41 was Team Fragola from Fremd High School located in Palatine, IL. In second place with a time of 20:06 was Team Howards Cams from Lakeshore High School in Stevensville, MI.
Also from Fremd High School was the first-place winning team, Team McLeod, finishing with a time of 19:54. Team McLeod finished both runs with no penalties at the Race & Performance Expo Show.
Steve Elza, coach of the two Fremd teams, said, “My senior team has been together since their freshman year in high school, they have been chasing a first-place finish. This past weekend those students not only clinched first place, but they also had two perfect engines and a first time in competition sub 20-minute performance! Fremd’s second team did very well too with one perfect engine, and they were knocking on the sub 20-minute door as well. We believe if the engine is perfect regardless of time, nothing else matters. I’m consistently impressed with the students’ hard work, dedication and stellar sportsmanship.”
For more information, visit HotRoddersofTomorrow.com.
