Recently SCR had the opportunity to tour the 12 million dollar NASCAR Technical Institute in Mooresville, North Carolina. Our tour guide was John Dodson, the community/NASCAR teams relations director for NTI. Dodson also helps students who excel find careers within the NASCAR community.
NTI was first opened in July of 2002 and had its first class graduate in August of 2003. NTI is the result of a partnership between NASCAR and Universal Technical Institute.
When students first arrive at NTI, they quickly learn that NTI is a "hands-on" facility. Each course is broken up into classroom sessions backed by hands-on training. Students first learn the basics of automotive mechanics. This includes classes covering such topics as automotive engines and repair, brakes, fuel and ignition systems, and advanced diagnostic systems, among other topics. The goal of this is to qualify the student as an entry-level automotive technician, one who is equipped with the skills and training necessary for employment.
Students also enroll in the NASCAR electives for classes covering engines, chassis setup, chassis fabrication, body fabrication, and aerodynamics.
Essentially, NTI prepares students for a career in the motorsports community by providing training in practically everything they will come in contact with at a Sprint Cup shop. Each student learns to operate an engine dyno, chassis dyno, and work on Sprint Cup cars. In fact, NTI recently unveiled a new program in which the most skilled students actually build Kyle Busch's engines for his NASCAR Camping World Series East team.
"Before I recommend any student to a Sprint Cup owner they have to meet a certain criteria," says Dodson.
Any student who has been recommended to any owner has at least a 3.8 GPA and 98 percent class attendance. Anyone curious about training for a job in the NASCAR community should consider looking at NTI. The institute has the connections within the industry and can provide the training needed for a career with a Sprint Cup team.
CONTACT INFO
866-31-NASCAR
www.uti.edu/nascar
NASCAR Technical Institute
220 Byers Creek Road
Mooresville, NC 28117