April 1, 2008

Racecars to be on display during first Motorsports on the Mall

The event is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Purdue Mall, rain or shine, and is being held in conjunction with activities surrounding Purdue's annual Grand Prix kart race, which is April 19.

The Purdue Motorsports Association, a student group focused on racing and the motorsports industry, is sponsoring the event to help increase awareness of the organization as well as the industry's connection to Purdue and Indiana.

"The state has a long history with events such as the Indianapolis 500, and the Purdue Grand Prix has been a tradition for more than 50 years," said Andy Eckerle, president of the Purdue Motorsports Association and a junior in mechanical engineering technology. "We want to get the word out that our student group is open to all majors, from engineering to business to liberal arts. There are jobs in the motorsports industry for all of these students, and we can help connect them with the industry. Anyone with an interest in motorsports is welcome to join."

Vehicles scheduled to be on display include sprint and midget machines, a variety of National Hot Rod Association vehicles, and stock and open-wheel cars.

Eckerle said students and some of the owners will accompany the cars and can answer questions about them. There also will be information about the Purdue Motorsports Association, which has about 30 members. The group offers technical presentations, information about internships and organizes visits to facilities such as the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The group also annually builds a kart for the Grand Prix race and had the winning kart in last year's with Liz Lehmann driving to the checkered flag.

Motorsports organizations and teams who are interested in exhibiting their display cars or components can contact Eckerle at (812) 630-8801.

Writer: Kim Medaris, (765) 494-6998, kmedaris@purdue.edu

Source: Andy Eckerle, (812) 630-8801, aeckerle@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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