Chattanooga State introduces Motorsports Initiative on May 2



April 27, 2005 -- What's worth $475 billion annually, has 75 million viewers, and employs 3,500 people per event It's NASCAR racing, and Chattanooga State Technical Community College is introducing a technical career program to train engineers and technicians for this growing industry.

"This is high-tech," said Dr. Foster Chason, Chattanooga State spokesperson, "and we're not talking about teaching shade-tree mechanics. Motorsports technology is complex and requires a knowledge of engineering technology, computers, physics, chemistry, and even business. Our new program will train professionals who can find lucrative careers in this growing field and in the industries that support it."

Local NASCAR enthusiasts Nelson Bowers and Herb Adcox will be on campus on Monday, May 2, at 11 a.m. as Chattanooga State unveils its plans for its motorsports initiative. The College will introduce special motorsport programs into its engineering technology, information systems and business courses, and will also enhance its automotive, motorcycle and marine programs at the Tennessee Technology Center on campus. "This is a specialized program, but the student who completes it will be in demand not only from NASCAR teams but also from industries who manufacture the high-performance equipment used in the sport of racing," said Chason. The motorsports emphasis will be incorporated into the classroom and into labs, to give the student a well-rounded and "real-world" experience.

In addition, a new course, entitled "Motorsports: The Business, Regulations, Economics and History" will begin this fall, and will assist students in making career choices and educational plans.

"We will also introduce a Motorcycle Technology program, which prepares technicians to service the more than 6,000 registered motorcycles in Hamilton County," said Chason. "Our goal is to help our students find prosperous careers doing something they love - and, from the looks of it, lots of people love motorsports and competition."

The motorsports initiative makes Chattanooga State the first in the country to integrate racing technology and business into a wide range of career programs. For more information, contact Dr. Foster Chason at 423-697-4738.





Chattanooga State introduces Motorsports Initiative on May 2