Purdue University’s Opportunity Motorsports Program Will Partner With Brownsburg Indiana’s Circle Bound Racing For The 2006 Racing Season

Purdue University’s Opportunity Motorsports program will partner with Brownsburg, Indiana’s Circle Bound Racing for the 2006 Racing Season. With this partnership, Opportunity Motorsports members will play integral roles in all aspects of the Circle Bound Racing late model racing operation in 2006.

Circle Bound Racing is owned by veteran racer Chet Blanton of Plainfield, Indiana and is the factory team for Blanton’s ARC Racing Engines business. ARC builds engines for a variety of applications, including dirt and pavement late models, sprint cars, and hot rods.   The Opportunity Motorsports program will help to maintain and prepare Circle Bound Racing’s late model racecars for selected racing events with the CRA Super Series in 2006.  This relationship will provide Purdue University students seeking a motorsports related education with the ability to become involved in both the business and technical aspects of a semi-professional racing team.  Students currently involved with the program represent a variety of disciplines including Visual Communications Design, Advertising and Public Relations, Management, Organizational Leadership and Supervision, Mechanical Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering Technology.

The Opportunity Motorsports program was founded by race driver and Purdue University mechanical engineering student Jonathan Hassler just over one year ago.  During the 2005 racing season, members of Opportunity Motorsports worked for Hendricks County Motorsports with driver Chris Gabehart and owner Jim Winters. Gabehart, a recent Mechanical Engineering graduate of Purdue University, competed with the CRA Super Series full time in 2005 scoring his first series victory in May on the legendary high banks of Winchester Speedway and finishing 5th in the 2005 series season points. Gabehart has since moved on to Hagans Racing, an ARCA RE/MAX Series team, as a full-time engineer.  He will also race in selected ARCA RE/MAX Series events during the 2006 season.

Purdue University’s Opportunity Motorsports program will also partner with the CRA Super Series in 2006 to help promote the program and the opportunities it offers interested students and participating companies. Purdue University’s Opportunity Motorsports program will be marketed by the series as the Official Motorsports Educational Program of the CRA Super Series.

“This is a great program that Jonathan has developed and it is a great opportunity for the CRA Super Series to be involved with,” remarked Glenn Luckett, Director of the CRA Super Series. “This program gives our series a great opportunity to develop new fans, potential drivers and new team personnel. There has not been anything like this in this region, and I hope everyone will take full advantage of this program and the potential benefits it offers not only our series, but all the Motorsports interest in Central Indiana.”

Purdue University’s Opportunity Motorsports and Circle Bound Racing proudly invite the racing community and especially any interested parties to an open house on Saturday, February 11, 2006.  The open house will be held between 10am and 1pm at the Circle Bound Racing shop at 454 Johnson Lane in Brownsburg, Indiana.  Information will be available for all aspects of the Opportunity Motorsports program including its fan club and corporate outreach program, the Industrial Pit Crew.  Light refreshments will be served. Please RSVP Jonathan Hassler at the number or e-mail listed below.

For more information contact Jonathan Hassler by phone at (765) 720-1384 or by email at jhassler@purdue.edu.

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