CONCORD, N.C. — The clock read 8.33 seconds as the jackman dropped the Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet back to the ground after a four-tire stop.
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For the pit crew members, this was a maneuver they complete thousands of times throughout the season, but for the high school students watching from the nearby grandstands, it was an endlessly fascinating experience.
These students were on the Hendrick Motorsports campus on a breezy, 50-degree morning to take part in the sixth annual Fueling Futures event presented by Ally, Alex Bowman's primary partner.
What is Fueling Futures? It's an opportunity for students from local high schools to visit a championship-winning organization and learn about the multitude of careers in racing. They then have the opportunity to talk to local colleges and technical institutes that can help with the pursuit of these career paths.
"There's just so many different opportunities in racing at different organizations and different levels and different things," Alex Bowman said after Wednesday's event. "So (it's) super cool to kind of expose them to some of that."
Wednesday's event featured a total of 50 students combined from five different high schools, an increase from the number of schools previously involved.
Five high schools went to Hendrick Motorsports today for the @allyracing Fueling Futures event. They watched pit practice, learned about careers in racing and financial literacy, and watched @Alex_Bowman lock @Crushboy31 in a car.
Full story will follow. pic.twitter.com/J1VX4ZvM0w— John Newby (@JohnNewby_) October 16, 2024
"There's smaller groups that are coming from each school, but this really allows the students to go deep in their questions," Natalie Brown, Ally's Senior Director of Corporate Citizenship, explained.
"It allows more schools, more students to get exposure to the program."
The ability to ask questions is a huge part of Fueling Futures. It's one thing for the students to watch a pit crew member change one lug nut on a Next Gen car or five on an Xfinity Series car. It's another to talk to a member of the pit crew and ask direct questions after practice is over.
If these students have no knowledge of NASCAR, they can learn about the historic series. If they are already fans, they can see how a top-tier team operates throughout the week.
Of course, driving and working on pit crews are just two parts of professional stock car racing. NASCAR teams also rely on engineers, mechanics, interior specialists, PR teams, designers, vehicle wrap installers, and many other positions.
"Being at the venue also is helpful because (students) get to also see and experience what the pit crew is doing, what the engineers are doing," Brown added while explaining how Ally created the Fueling Futures events.
"Let's find a way that we can give them multiple experiences in a short period of time, but then at the same time, let them walk away with thoughts on what they can do, what they're learning in school as well as how that applies in the real world."
Pit practice was one of several stops the students made on the Hendrick Motorsports campus. This interactive career day also featured a trip to the Axalta Center to learn about financial literacy and a stop at the No. 24/48 shop to get a firsthand look at the marketing and PR side of racing.
The busy day continued at the General Motors Building where the students learned about more NASCAR careers, some of which could put them on the path to becoming a crew chief. They also watched Bowman complete a sim session ahead of the trip to Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
"This is an opportunity to expose them to a company, a brand, a sport that can do really good things for setting them up in life, allowing them to see and do things in life that they never, ever thought they'd be able to be a part of," Bernard Pollard, a Super Bowl champion-turned-NASCAR super fan, said at the event.
Pollard has been involved with Ally and the Fueling Futures events for four years as he has continued to grow as a NASCAR fan. Wednesday's event continued this partnership as he joined Bowman on the stage for a "fireside chat."
This is when the students learned about Bowman's early struggles in NASCAR and his ultimate journey to winning races with Hendrick Motorsports. The students also learned about Pollard's tumultuous childhood and how he overcame it to reach the NFL.
The students used this fireside chat to ask Bowman and Pollard some questions that the duo would not normally face, including multiple that sparked deeper conversations.
These students weren't asking about tire wear, fuel mileage, or horsepower packages at short tracks. No, they were asking about life and adversity.
One student, in particular, grabbed the microphone and asked, "What motivates you?"
This was a simple question, but it was also powerful. Although Bowman joked that he is selfish before giving his real answer about the pressures he faces driving for Hendrick Motorsports and the role that doubters have played as he has pursued wins.
"You heard the questions that they're asking," Pollard said. "How do you deal with mentally getting there, ready for a race, and how do you come down? How do you handle defeat?
"That's huge because those are things that these kids are dealing with all the time, right, as they're learning life, as they're learning how to be who they're supposed to be."
With this event complete, Bowman and Hendrick Motorsports will turn the attention to Las Vegas Motor Speedway and the opportunity to return to victory lane. It's business as usual for the remaining four weeks of the season.
The high school students, however, will move forward with the knowledge that they could one day work in professional stock car racing. Maybe they could end up working for Hendrick Motorsports.
