State grant helps fuel Motorsports Initiative

by Heather Hayes
Virginia Business
September 2005

Martinsville may be a magnet for NASCAR racing fans twice a year, but the city also draws a more serious auto aficionado. For five years, Patrick Henry Community College (PHCC) has been turning out high-performance engine mechanics, parts managers and marketing specialists for the stock-car and truck racing industries. The college offers technical degree programs providing instruction in engine design and the unique business aspects of automotive racing.

A recent $200,000 Community Development Block Grant promises to accelerate the program’s reputation. The money, says Earl Dodrill, dean of Applied Science and Engineering Technology at PHCC, will enable the school to purchase the sophisticated machinery and tools it needs to create a professional worksite at its Virginia Motorsports Technology Center.

“This will give our students a technical edge because they will have learned how to set up, manipulate and operate the high-end equipment that is used on a day-to-day basis in this business,” he states.

More than 50 program graduates have been placed with motorsports companies, including Arrington Engine, HT Motorsports, Kroyer Engines, the Orleans Racing Team and Hendricks Motorsports.