Fri, 11 Jul 2008, 11:10 AM Let's Hear It For The Sycamores!

By Bob Frey Photo copyright 2008 Auto Imagery, Inc.

ISU Super Comp Dragster

Over the years there have been a lot of great rivalries in sports. The Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. The Cubs and the Cardinals. The North Carolina Tar Heels and the Duke Blue Devils. In drag racing it was always Ford versus Chevy, "Big Daddy" and Shirley or Bob Glidden and Warren Johnson to name just a few. And in all sports there have been some very memorable games, including this year's Super Bowl, the 1960 World Series, the one Bill Mazeroski won with his ninth inning home run and, of course, the great NCAA final game between "Magic" Johnson's Michigan State Spartans and Larry Bird's undefeated Indiana State Sycamores. It was one game that actually lived up to all the pre-game hype and one game that basketball fans will talk about for years, especially the Michigan State fans. It is also one of the defining moments in the history of Indiana State University, a school of about 10,000 students that is based in Terre Haute, Indiana. And until the next Larry Bird comes around, that title game almost thirty years ago may remain the highlight of the sports activities at the school. That is unless Dr. Randell (Randy) Peters can work some magic with his team.

Best Appearing Crew Award

At the recently completed Summit Racing Equipment Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio, a little bit of history was made when one team won both the "Best Appearing Crew" award and the coveted "Best Engineered Car" award. That team was the Super Comp team that races out of Indiana State University, the team that is "coached" by Randy Peters. Randy is a Professor of Automotive Technology Management and the faculty advisor to Team Sycamore Racing. His business card also lists him as the Motorsports Coordinator for the College of Technology at I.S.U. That's a lot of titles, so what exactly was he doing getting his picture taken so many times in Norwalk? "This is a very comprehensive program," he said. "It's not just about racing a car, it's about learning all the aspects of motor sports. That includes the racing, the marketing, the sponsorship development, the photography, the graphics, the public relations and so much more." He added that "the university is not sponsoring us. They are us and we are them." And that's a huge distinction as far as Randy is concerned. "I think it's the main thing that makes us different from any other program like this. The students on this team have been chosen from every aspect of our college life. We have a pre-med student on the team while others are finance and marketing majors and more. They have to be in the motorsports management program, an academic minor, in order to be on the team."

Derek Parkes

Like any college team, Randy's team faces the constant turnover of his players. "We have eight to ten students who rotate in and out, taking turns at the track and we have a lot more back at the university who are involved in the program. Everyone eventually gets to go with us to see what the entire program involves and to see how we communicate when we're at the track." And just like a basketball team, some of the key players come and go in a hurry. "We have four different drivers right now and we know we'll lose one of them at the end of this year and two more next year. While only one driver competes in Super Comp, the others hone their skills in E.T. Racing, making certain someone is available to assertively compete in every scheduled event." Randy also mentions that as much as the team wants to win, they are focused on the totality of the program. "Each area gets a lot of attention, and that includes the marketing and sponsor development as much as the engine program. And, speaking of sponsors, we currently have signed sponsorship contracts with Safety-Kleen, Hoosier Tires, Square One Design, and VP Racing Fuels. We are currently negotiating with other sponsors such as Edelbrock, Russell, Army, and G.M. Performance Parts, just to name a few. Our team members have to learn about everything that makes a successful racing operation."

427 cubic inch LS7 engine

In an effort to keep pace with the current technology in the automotive world, the Sycamores have chosen a combination that isn't your typical Super Comp combination. "Carburetors are, how should I put this, dead in the automotive world and have been for a while. That's why we chose this particular combination to put in our car." That "combination" that he spoke of is one of the reasons why the car was selected as the "Best Engineered" at the Norwalk event. "It's a seven liter, 427 cubic inch LS7 engine right out of a Z-06 Corvette. It's an aluminum, very high tech engine and that's what we wanted to run." In order to get an engine like that the students, or team members, spoke with the people at G.M. Performance Parts, the same ones who sponsor that other "Professor," Warren Johnson. "We told the folks at GM what our needs were and they told us what they wanted out of our automotive program and we saw that we had some common ground and the same goals." And has that other "Professor" seen the car? "Warren came by our booth at the PRI show in Florida and we chatted. He was very interested in our program." Sounds like there could be a post-grad program in the making!!

Best Engineered Award

Every aspect of the program has to meet with the demanding standards set by the university and that includes the selection of the driver. "The position and number of openings were posted and were open to any student at the university," Randy said. "The initial requirements were that the applicant had to get into or be a part of the motorsports management program minor and had to have good academic standing." Once they met those requirements they had to come in for a grueling interview, one as intense as any interview for a challenging position in the real world. "They were told to dress in 'business professional' and the way they presented themselves went a long way in the decision making process. They had to be able to communicate and represent the university in a positive way." Sounds like, after a rigorous review process like that, that the actual driving part would be easy.

At the Norwalk Nationals event, students who participated in the program included Derek Parkes, the pre-med student who got the driving gig. Arlo Daunhauer is the VP of Marketing, Matt Williams the VP of Public Relations, Cody Kinney is the VP of Finance, Kaci Lientz is the VP of Events Planning, and Mike Mauntel was the crew chief for the event. "This is our first year out with the car," Randell said. "As such, we're on our third crew chief already. Two of the others never got to see the car go down the track." And while the team didn't win, Randell said that is certainly their goal. "We'd like to win a division race and, possibly, win a division title. We'd love to be able to take a 'Wally' back to the campus and show the students and the university what we can do and what kind of exposure we can get for the school through our racing program." And even though they didn't get the big trophy, they still have a couple of smaller 'Wally's' for their weekend's efforts and that's a good start. It's kind of like winning your conference, now they have to go and win the national championship. Larry and his team came close in 1979, maybe this group of Sycamores can go one further in 2008.

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