The fifth Hot Rodders of Tomorrow (HROT) Engine Challenge of the season was hosted at the NASCAR Technical Institute in Mooresville, North Carolina, on March 31.
Eleven teams from four schools in Georgia and Virginia competed at the event, with seven teams advancing to the 2018 Dual National Championship Playoffs later this year at SEMA Show and PRI.
To qualify for the Dual National Championship, a team must finish disassembling and reassembling a small-block Chevrolet engine in less than 33 minutes, including penalties.
Team Vibrant Performance from Burton Center for Arts & Tech in Salem, Virginia took home first place with the time of 19:17. (Team Vibrant had already qualified at the Summit AutoRama with a 18:12 time). Burton Center for Arts & Tech’s third team Magnaflow also qualified with a 26:04 time.
Forsyth Central High School from Cumming, Georgia, had five if its six teams qualify, with the sixth team missing out by just 50 seconds. Team RHS Heads placed second with the time of 21:18, Team Allstar Performance placed third with 24:57. Teams Moroso, Scat and McLeod Racing all qualified with times of 26:31, 31:20 and 32:42 respectively.
The Forsyth Central automotive program is headed up by Marlo Miranda. Who said that he has “300 students in the program and of those he has 45 on the Hot Rodders of Tomorrow engine team.” According to Miranda, 26 of his past engine team students go on to a tech college, and about 90 to 95% of the students take advantage of the scholarships they’ve won.
Americus Sumter High School from Americus, Georgia, had one of its two teams qualify for the playoffs. Team Aeromotive qualified with a 32:35 time.
For more information on Hot Rodders of Tomorrow and how to start a team, visit HotRoddersofTomorrow.com.
