The Randy Meyer Racing Team has been preparing for the 2021 U.S. Nationals and Jegs AllStars races ever since they won the event and set the world record at 5.09 seconds in the quarter-mile last year. With Rachel Meyer leading the national standings and Julie Nataas in fourth, the team has a big bullseye on their back again this year for the two biggest drag racing events in the same weekend.
Joining the team for the 5th consecutive year of the U.S. Nationals is Technician.Academy who offers personalized online courses as well as blogs, how-to tips, and industry insights to automotive technicians. Each year, Technician.Academy hosts a contest for two college students to join the Randy Meyer Racing Team as interns on the crew for the U.S. Nationals, and they are excited to welcome two new Respect is Learned© In The Pits contest winners to the team for this year’s internship opportunity. Juliaun Pracht and Jeremy Sullivan are the two students that have been selected from the pool of applicants to work on the team’s two Top Alcohol Dragsters. Juliaun and Jeremy will gain hands-on experience behind the scenes at one of the largest drag racing events in the world, a feat few young technicians can tout.
“We’re proud to continue offering this unique opportunity to young technicians. We’re excited to introduce Juliaun and Jeremy to the Randy Meyer Racing Team. This is going to be an incredible learning experience for the both of them,” said Shawn Collins, Founder of Technician.Academy.
Technician.Academy is excited to welcome Ivy Tech Community College Evansville as the newest sponsor for this year’s Respect is Learned© In The Pits contest. Ivy Tech Community College Evansville and the Ivy Tech Foundation are proud to sponsor this initiative and help provide these students with once-in-a-lifetime learning experiences.
“We are so excited to partner with Technician.Academy and be represented in this year’s NHRA U.S. Nationals. The opportunity this chance affords our students is invaluable – even if they do not win the competition,” said Ivy Tech Chancellor Daniela Vidal. “For our faculty and students to be able to see the team in the pits in action and view the race from the stands is a chance in a lifetime.”
“There are thousands of open positions in Indiana in the automotive industry, and competitions like this, and programs like Ivy Tech’s Automotive Technology Program prepare students for successful futures and help fill open positions with skilled technicians in Indiana automotive shops,” said Chris Kaufman, program chair at Ivy Tech Evansville. “Ivy Tech offers short-term certificates in sequences of technical and professional courses that are industry-focused that build upon each other leading to an Associate of Applied Science degree in Automotive Technology,” he added.
Continuing their partnership with Technician.Academy and the Randy Meyer Racing Team for the fourth year in a row is MotoRad. MotoRad’s team of experts understands the value of bringing unique education opportunities like this to the automotive industry where training is lacking and quality technicians are retiring.
“MotoRad is proud to continue our partnership with Technician.Academy and Randy Meyer Racing as sponsor of the 2021 Respect is Learned© In The Pits initiative,” said Brandon Kight, VP of Marketing at MotoRad. “This will be our fourth year to sponsor this great program. It has been so rewarding to see these young technicians enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be part of a world-class drag team pit crew. This is an experience that they will take with them into their future careers and cherish for a lifetime.”
MotoRad has supported the Respect is Learned© In The Pits contest since 2018. Since then, five automotive college students have experienced a once-in-a-lifetime ride behind-the-scenes at the largest drag racing event in the world. In 2021, two more talented students will have the opportunity to work on Randy Meyer Racing’s Top Alcohol Dragsters, where the team hopes to once again clinch the championship win.
“This opportunity wouldn’t be possible without sponsors like Ivy Tech and MotoRad,” said Technician.Academy Founder Shawn Collins. “Encouraging students to pursue automotive repair as a career and gain hands-on experience is so important in an industry that’s short on technicians and quality training. Respect is Learned© In The Pits is one of our ways of liberating the industry, and we’re excited to have Ivy Tech on board.”
Rachel Meyer and Julie Nataas will have two qualifying sessions for the U.S. Nationals on Thursday, September 2nd followed by a third session on Friday to set the field. Julie will go on to compete in the prestigious Jegs AllStars event to represent the North Central Region of the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series. Eliminations for the U.S. Nationals will be held on Saturday and Sunday.
“I am excited to return to the U.S. Nationals for the third time,” said Rachel Meyer, driver of the NTK Top Alcohol Dragster. “We’d like to get back into the winner circle again this year with help from our Technician.Academy, MotoRad, and Ivy Tech interns. We have been on a winning streak the past couple of races, and I have high hopes that we can continue the momentum at the biggest race of the year.”