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Holley/MSD Sponsors Hot Rodders Of Tomorrow
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Holley/MSD announced it is a title sponsor of the Hot Rodders of Tomorrow (HROT) program, which pits high school students around the nation against one another in a fun and exciting competition.
Teams must tear down an engine to the bare block (only the camshaft and crankshaft remain) and put it all back together again in a certain amount of time, using nothing but hand tools and teamwork.
The brainchild of Jim Bingham, whose three old-school speed shops in Illinois still thrive in today's online world, its popularity has exploded since the program began in 2008. As teams win and advance, the winning times keep getting shorter. Less than 10 years ago, 44-minute times were required to win the nationals; now a 34-minute time wouldn't even qualify. The current record is an astounding 17:47 by Burton Center #2 from Salem, Virgina.
Students compete to reach the Dual National Championship finals at the SEMA Show and the PRI Show, and it's not just bragging rights that the master mechanics of the future are after—every member of the winning team gets a $10,000 scholarship to one of five schools: the University of Northwestern Ohio (UNOH), the School of Automotive Machinists & Technology (SAM Tech), the Ohio Technical College (OTC), the Universal Technical Institute (UTI), or WyoTech.
Second-place students receive $9,500 scholarships, third place gets a $9000 scholarship, and every student that makes the finals gets at least a $5000 scholarship.
"It's amazing what this has turned into," said Bingham, who receives invaluable assistance at competitions all across the country from his son, Rodney. "The kids put a lot of heart and a lot of work into this, and they're exactly what colleges are looking for because they know these kids aren't sitting around, doing nothing in their spare time. They're go-getters."
Each team is sponsored by an aftermarket manufacturer and five teams have backing from the Holley family of brands: Holley, MSD, Hooker, Blackheart and Mr. Gasket.
For more information on the Hot Rodders of Tomorrow program, click here.
Teams must tear down an engine to the bare block (only the camshaft and crankshaft remain) and put it all back together again in a certain amount of time, using nothing but hand tools and teamwork.
The brainchild of Jim Bingham, whose three old-school speed shops in Illinois still thrive in today's online world, its popularity has exploded since the program began in 2008. As teams win and advance, the winning times keep getting shorter. Less than 10 years ago, 44-minute times were required to win the nationals; now a 34-minute time wouldn't even qualify. The current record is an astounding 17:47 by Burton Center #2 from Salem, Virgina.
Students compete to reach the Dual National Championship finals at the SEMA Show and the PRI Show, and it's not just bragging rights that the master mechanics of the future are after—every member of the winning team gets a $10,000 scholarship to one of five schools: the University of Northwestern Ohio (UNOH), the School of Automotive Machinists & Technology (SAM Tech), the Ohio Technical College (OTC), the Universal Technical Institute (UTI), or WyoTech.
Second-place students receive $9,500 scholarships, third place gets a $9000 scholarship, and every student that makes the finals gets at least a $5000 scholarship.
"It's amazing what this has turned into," said Bingham, who receives invaluable assistance at competitions all across the country from his son, Rodney. "The kids put a lot of heart and a lot of work into this, and they're exactly what colleges are looking for because they know these kids aren't sitting around, doing nothing in their spare time. They're go-getters."
Each team is sponsored by an aftermarket manufacturer and five teams have backing from the Holley family of brands: Holley, MSD, Hooker, Blackheart and Mr. Gasket.
For more information on the Hot Rodders of Tomorrow program, click here.
