Lima Reporter

University of Northwestern Ohio issued the following announcement on March 29.

Written by Communications Specialist Georgia Beard

The University of Northwestern Ohio sent 33 High Performance Motorsports students, who are members of the UNOH Race Club, to Daytona International Speedway this February. The students worked as interns with 9 different ARCA teams during the Lucas Oil 200 Driven by General Tire race on February 19, 2022.

At the beginning of the year, members of the Race Club are assigned to teams. For them, the race season begins at Daytona International Speedway.  Oftentimes students are able to continue working for the same team the entire ARCA season. This partnership between UNOH and the ARCA Series provides students the opportunity to gain experience and connections to secure jobs in their future careers.

Dallas Frueh worked with Fast Track Racing as a general crew member and mechanic in the pits and a fuel handler for the #10 car. Dallas worked with this same team also in 2021. Kyle Totman worked with the Redtide Canopies, Coble Enterprises, Doug Design, #7 CCM Racing Ford in the garage and served as the fuel man and jack man on pit road.

“My favorite part,” Dallas stated, “as unfortunate as it sounds, was getting to help replace the nose piece on the #11 after qualifying on Friday. The nose on the car got tore up and had to be replaced, and some of the crew members who knew me from last year and know my experience with racecars had me jump in on the job.”

That was an opportunity for Dallas to use his knowledge and show off his dedication to the team by staying later to help get the car ready for the next day. “With fixing the car, I got to learn a lot about how the front end was set up and braced to take impacts on the track, especially with superspeedways like Daytona with bump drafting. Being able to work on it, rather than just looking at it, gave me a better understanding of how it all fits and works together as an assembly.”

Kyle also had a great opportunity to put his skills to the test and gain knowledge during Daytona Speedweeks. “I learned how to take apart and rebuild axle bearings on the car,” he said. “We use special low-drag bearings that need specific attention to avoid damage. I also learned a lot about strategy during group qualifying and during the race.”

Gaining experience was not the only perk of the Daytona trip, as students were able to walk around the garage and make connections at the track. “I met other drivers in the ARCA series and even some in other series of NASCAR,” Kyle stated. “I also met quite a few of my team’s sponsors and it was nice to talk to them. My plan after graduation is to work in the shop with CCM Racing. I still have a lot to learn but I’m looking forward to the challenge. I am very fortunate that they asked me to come work with them in the shop. I am looking forward to graduation and being able to spend even more time with the crew in the shop and at the track.”

Dallas also graduates in 2022, and he found time during the week to talk to some NASCAR Truck and Xfinity Series teams about opportunities in the future. After he finishes this season with ARCA, Dallas plans to reach back out to the connections he made at the track. “I’m open to all kinds of racing. I’m looking for a good environment to work in and I would like to continue to learn while honing in my skills.”

UNOH’s involvement as the “Official Educational Partner” of Daytona International Speedway is a major perk for UNOH students allowing them to gain first-hand experience and make connections in the industry, oftentimes leading to fulfilling careers after graduation. 

Original source can be found here.