Racing Experience and College A
group of high school students are learning first-hand what it takes to build a drag car and keep it going, thanks to a program hosted by Baker College’s Flint Campus. The students get to take the car to Milan Dragway to test their skills behind the wheel as well as their skills under the hood. Shop instructor, Andy Michalik says he tries to promote safe racing habits and discourages street racing. “I wouldn’t want to be the one to have to talk to their parents if I took them out on the street where there’s no emergency crew, and something happened,” said Michalik. Students racing at Milan Dragway are limited to the 12 second bracket. They aren’t allowed to go any faster than 12 seconds. That would be somewhere around 105-108 mph. That’s fast enough for any high school student to at least get a taste for drag racing. “Teaching was amazing, but racing tops anything I’ve ever done,” exclaims Keith Nicholls 20, of Linden, when asked what he liked most about this program. Nicholls has been assisting Michalik in his classes since 2005. The student supported auto club owns 3 vehicles;
20
www.carbuffnews.com
a 1967 Chevelle, a 1995 Camaro, and a Buick Grand National. All of the motors the students work on, including the ones in the cars, are 350 Chevy motors. Some of the motors were bought by the school, while some were donated to the class. Any machining that needs to be done to these motors is done by Bryant’s Machine Shop. Instructor, Andy Michalik says Bryant is excellent with these kids. The students range in age from 15-18 years. “I like them to at least have a learner’s permit” says Michalik. Since the program is hosted by Baker College, students receive some college credits for attending and passing the course. The shop is Nationally Certified so all of the credits are transferrable. Students also have the opportunity to take the state’s Mechanic Certification test at the end of the course. Their instructor, Andy Michalik, of Flint, is a Kearsley High School and Ferris State University graduate. He is also ASE certified. Andy comes from a family of car enthusiasts. His uncle Ron Michalik owns a VW Beetle he drag races at area tracks. Andy’s brother John Michalik teaches a similar class at the Livonia Career Center in Livonia. Every year the students get to test their knowledge against other high school students from around Michigan in the Michigan Tech Expo Top Gun Competition in Grand Rapids, sponsored by Auto Value Auto Parts. Accord-