Attn: Jonathon Hassler Visit our Website: Civil Engineering Building Room G292 A http://www.purdue.edu/opportunity 550 Stadium Mall Drive Phone: (765)-494-6490 West Lafayette, IN 47707-2051 Opportunity Motorsports Winds Down 2006 Season

By: Dan Hobbs Opportunity Motorsports (OM) who’s career best finish came in this Volume 1, Issue 2 and Circle Bound Racing (CBR) are bus- event in 1999, when he came home a ily preparing for the final events of the strong fourth. Blanton’s long-time love Inside this issue: 2006 CRA Super Series racing season, the affair with the high banks of Winchester and the All-American have him returning for the 400 after a 400. very strong run in the Labor Day weekend 2006 Season Winds Down 1 The 35th Annual Winchester 400 event at the Speedway, in which he de- on the weekend of October 13-15 will clared “that’s the best car I’ve ever had at OM Welcomes New Members 1 feature Super cars and stars Winchester”. from all across the United States compet- The two teams will feature Elec- Dan Hobbs - My Experience 2 ing in a grueling 400-lap endurance event trical Automation Services of Green- on the high-banked half mile in East Cen- castle, IN for this event, along with the 2007 Season Preview 3 tral Indiana. Purdue University College of Engineer- The team will be entering two ing, ARC Racing Engines, ARP Stock Driver Zach Taylor 3 Electrical Automation Services sponsored Car Bodies, and Saldana Radiators. teams in this world-famous event, with Strong runs in both previous 2006 events the team’s primary number 14 car featur- at the Winchester Speedway have the plex in Nashville, TN with the running of ing nineteen-year-old Hartsville, TN na- OM/CBR team expecting good results in one of the most prestigious events of the tive Zach Taylor, who’s fourth place ef- this famous event, bringing the 2006 sea- year for the Super Late Model race teams, fort in the spring race at the Winchester son to a successful end, on the way to the the All-American 400. The All-American Speedway was his career best finish, in All-American 400 in Nashville. th 400 weekend features a 200-lap ASA only his second career start, and first at The 35 Annual Winchester 400 Late Model series event, coupled with a the daunting speedway. Taylor immedi- weekend begins on Friday, October 13th 200-lap CRA Super Series non-points ately fell in love with the track, saying with qualifying, and ends on Sunday, Oc- th race. nearly every week “We need to go back tober 15 with the running of the Win- Opportunity Motorsports will to Winchester!”. chester 400 at 1:00 p.m. field a vehicle in both races, as Zach Tay- Acting as teammate to the young The 2006 racing season comes to Taylor is veteran wheelman Chet Blanton, a close at the famous Music City Motor- See SEASON WINDS on page 2 Opportunity Motorsports Welcomes New Members

Opportunity Motorsports is willingness to contribute, and some auto racing industry. The existing proud to welcome a new crop of stu- have previous experience, and want group welcomes and looks forward dent members, who were recruited to continue to gain experience dur- to working with each of the new on campus in September 2006. The ing their collegiate career. Most members on their way to helping ten new members will complement new members are freshmen, and develop the experience they hope to the current members very well, as will have their entire four year ca- acquire before graduation. some have very little racing experi- reer with OM to gain the experience ence but a strong desire to learn and necessary to make a career in the Opportunity Motorsports Outlook Volume 1, Issue 2 Page 2

SEASON WINDS continued from page 1 lor will attempt to complete the double at All-American 150, and finishing fif- The All-American 400 races his home track, running his own num- teenth in July’s All American Super take place on Sunday, November 5th ber 98 Quality Care Nursing Home Late Model event. The team looks to with the ASA Late Model event taking ASA Late Model and the number 14 build on these results, as well as an im- the green at 1:00 p.m. and the CRA CBR machine in the CRA Super Series proved setup, on their way to successful Super Series event going off immedi- event to follow. showings in these season finale week- ately following. The team has visited Nashville end events, and to build some off- twice during the 2006 season, but has season momentum for the start of the not achieved the results desired, win- 2007 season. ning the non-qualifier’s race in March’s

My Experience with Opportunity Motorsports

By: Dan Hobbs Being a racer is a serious chester Speedway, and a fantastic affliction. It’s a little bug that gets eighteenth to sixth charge in the into your system, and will never CRA race at the Baer Field Speed- come out. Once a love of racing has way in Fort Wayne, IN. We also taken hold of a person, there’s very started on the outside pole at little that can be done to cure it, O’Reilly Raceway Park in June, short of moving to Switzerland among some of the best Late Model where auto racing is illegal. When I teams in the country. However, graduated from high school in Buf- racing will be racing, and bad luck falo, NY and moved to West Lafay- bit the team at more than its fair ette, IN to enroll in Purdue Univer- share of races this season, but the sity’s College of Engineering, I had 2006 season can still be considered to give up my driving career in the a successful one, with several strong NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series showings before mechanical diffi- Super Stock division, and was ex- culties. periencing some rather intense with- The OM/CBR partnership drawal symptoms (spending home- has really been great for everyone, coming weekend at Salem Speed- but specifically the student members way instead of campus). of Opportunity Motorsports, who for These racing withdrawal the most part ran the entire race symptoms continued until I met team at the shop and at the race with Jon Hassler, founder of Oppor- track. We were responsible for put- tunity Motorsports, and became his Vice time while working with Mr. Blanton and ting the setup under the race cars, and President and Treasurer. Opportunity the other OM members. It was a great performing all of the maintenance and Motorsports was a great opportunity to be opportunity to get a lot of the experience preparation on the vehicles, and learning involved in racing while I was in school, that the NASCAR teams are looking for a lot in the process. We learned from and gain the experience necessary to of their team engineers, and a great op- people with years of experience like team make a career in the Charlotte, NC area. portunity to get that racing fix I so desper- owner Chet Blanton, his veteran crew To that end, I spent the summer ately needed. chief Jerry Powell, and Zach Taylor’s of 2006 working full-time for Opportu- The weekends meant race day, crew chief Brad Cook, who mentored all nity Motorsports and Chet Blanton’s Cir- the day that I’d put so much effort in dur- of the members on all aspects of these cle Bound Racing out of Brownsburg, IN. ing the week for. With our driver Zach race cars and race strategy. This summer During the week, myself and two other Taylor, we followed the majority of the was truly a fantastic experience, I had a OM members spent the days preparing CRA Super Series schedule, along with lot of fun, and learned more than I could the two CRA Super Series machines and selected events in the ASA Late Model have possibly imagined in only one sum- Zach Taylor’s ASA Late Model for com- and All-American Super Late Model se- mer, and hope that I’ll learn even more petition. I had never before worked with ries. We had some great results, like a over the off-season and into 2007. I’m Late Models and I acquired a lot of sixth place start and fourth place finish in still stuck with that racing bug. knowledge over a very short period of our first race at the world famous Win- Opportunity Motorsports Outlook Volume 1, Issue 2 Page 3 OM Teams with Driver Zach Taylor for 2006 Season

Zach Taylor of Hartsville, Speedway, , I-70 TN has piloted the Opportunity Mo- Speedway, and Raceway torsports/Circle Bound Racing ma- Park. His best results included a sixth chine during the majority of the place qualifying effort and fourth 2006 season. The nineteen year old place finish in Winchester, a very hot shoe, who’s Late Model racing strong eighteenth to sixth effort at the experience dates back almost five Baer Field Speedway, and a second years, signed on to wheel the num- place start at Indianapolis Raceway ber 14 machine in selected events park among the very best teams. with the CRA Super Series, ASA A series of mechanical diffi- Late Model Challenge Series, and culties have hampered his season All-American Super Late Model slightly, but has not served as a detri- Series. ment to the notoriety that Taylor has Taylor began his Late gained while competing on a higher Model career at the Riverview level, being recognized for his ability Speedway in Carthage, TN, running Zach Taylor behind the wheel of the #14 OM/CBR car. to adapt to new racetracks quickly. a weekly show at the track, amass- Opportunity Motorsports and ing several victories at his home track In 2006, Taylor stepped up to Circle Bound Racing look for Taylor to while also putting on strong efforts at compete with some of the best Late return for the 2007 season, and continue tracks throughout the Southeast, including Model drivers in the business, as he took the success of 2006. Visit Taylor’s web- Lanier Speedway, Birmingham Speed- to some of the most famous, or infamous site at www.ZachTaylorRacing.com. way, Nashville’s Music City Motorplex, in the case of Winchester, speedways in and the world famous high-banks of Bris- the United States including the super high tol Motor Speedway. banked Winchester Speedway, Anderson

Opportunity Motorsports 2007 Season Preview

Members of Opportunity Mo- The CBR team is working hard to secure the torsports (OM) will be gaining valuable sponsorship necessary to field a two-car brings a new mix of perspectives, experi- racing experience with a variety of top- effort for drivers Jonathan Hassler and Zach ences, energy and ideas to the existing 6 quality racing teams when the first green Taylor, both of which competed with CBR member group. flag of 2007 falls sometime next March. in 2006. This expansion could create op- Fresh off a green flag of its own–the Oppor- portunities for as many as 8 total members To learn about each of these excit- tunity Motorsports organization was offi- of the OM program to work with CBR next ing members and to stay up to date with the cially founded at Purdue University during season. most current news of Opportunity Mo- the spring of 2005–the group looks to con- torsports, visit the group’s website at tinue to grow during its third year of opera- Still more opportunities for OM www.purdue.edu/opportunity. tion. This growth includes movement into members are being developed within the new racing series, involvement with new open wheel racing community. While no racing teams, and additional opportunities details can be released at this point, Oppor- for new and future members of Opportunity tunity Motorsports is looking to partner with Motorsports. a national USAC midget, sprint car, or sil- ver crown team in a multi-year partnership. In 2007, Opportunity Motorsports The long term goal for such a partnership is will continue to be involved with super late to develop yet another racing team that is model racing and will once again work with primarily operated by members of Opportu- the CRA Super Series team of Circle Bound nity Motorsports, just as Circle Bound Rac- Racing. Thus far in 2006, three OM mem- ing is operated in the CRA Super Series. bers have seen full time work with CBR, Attn: Jonathon Hassler while a fourth member has joined the team Each of these exciting opportuni- Civil Engineering Building Room G292 A at each of the 11 races in which the team ties, as well as a few more not mentioned 550 Stadium Mall Drive has competed. The team has been led above, will be filled by a mix of new and West Lafayette, IN 47707-2051 largely by the OM crew, and has posted two old members of Opportunity Motorsports. http://www.purdue.edu/opportunity top-tens and six top-five qualifying efforts. An exciting group of 11 new members (765)-494-6490