The Hot Rodders of Tomorrow (HROT) Engine Challenge third event of the 2017 season was held at Tarrant County College in Fort Worth, TX, last weekend. Nine teams from four different schools competed with hopes to qualify for the Dual National Championship held at the SEMA and PRI shows later this year.
At the Dual National Championship, every student who participates will have an opportunity to be awarded college scholarships somewhere between $25,000 and $50,000 total from five different colleges.
Two new schools participated in HROT for the first time: Pontotoc Tech Center from Ada, OK, had one team and Caddo Career & Technology Center — the 2010 Tomorrow’s Tech School of the Year — out of Shreveport, LA, had three teams participate. Caddo Career & Technology instructor Thomas Evans said, “HROT has really energized the students and really forged a team spirit with the kids,” while Dillon Risley, a Caddo student, said he plans to train all year long next year, that this year is all about learning, and next year is about increased competitiveness.
Two teams qualified at the Tarrant County College Qualifier. Coming in at second place was Team BE-COOL from Jacksonville High School in Jacksonville, AR, with the qualifying time of 29:09. Student Richard Johnson said, “HROT has shown me that with some effort and hard work I can achieve great things I never realized … that I had the opportunity to go to college now or even what I was capable of.”
In first place came team FEL-PRO from Tulsa Technology Center in Broken Arrow, OK. Their qualifying time was a sweet 22:32. Team instructor Greg Gilliam said, “HROT has helped motivate some students and has increased student retention for the second year. It seems to have given the students more confidence with what they are capable of doing.”
There will be two Hot Rodders of Tomorrow competitions April 1, giving another group of teams a chance to qualify for the National Dual Championships: on the West Coast, the NMCA WEST Spring Nationals in Fontana, CA, and in the Midwest at the Coker Tire Chattanooga Cruise-in in Chattanooga, TN.
Visit HotRoddersOfTomorrow.com to see the complete results from this past weekend.
For more information, visit HotRoddersofTomorrow.com or connect with them on social media.
For additional information in starting a team or sponsorship opportunities, contact Rodney Bingham at [email protected] or call at 815-722-5460
