Craftsman Kicks Off 6th Annual Career Development Week  2008 for the Urban Youth Racing School

  2008 Interns left to right – Kyle Baker/Philadelphia; Serfredrick Hill/ Washington DC; Jarel Harris/Washington DC; Bridgette Depalma /Philadelphia; Jeremy Ortiz/ Philadelphia; Chris Lawrence /Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA, PA (July 21, 2008) – NASCAR Series sponsor, Craftsman, kicks off their fifth annual Craftsman Career Development Apprenticeship Week in Mooresville, NC today, bringing six students from the Urban Youth Racing Schools (UYRS) in Philadelphia, PA and Washington, DC to the Mooresville area to work with four different teams in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. 

The students, who range in age from 16-18, report for duty at their respective race shops  today and will work side-by-side with the teams through Wednesday as they prepare their race trucks for the Power Stroke Diesel 200 at O’Reilly Raceway Park in Indiana. On Thursday, the students will fly to Indianapolis, IN where they will continue their learning experience as they work in the pits with their teams racing toward victory on Friday night.  All students will round out the evening joining the race winner in the Craftsman Victory Lane celebration.  

“Since implementing this apprenticeship program with the Urban Youth Racing School in 2002, we’ve seen past inters go on to work with teams and complete internships within various motorsports entities,” said Scott Howard, manager of Strategic Partnerships for Sears.  “Through our relationships within the NASCAR garage, the Craftsman brand has been able to put tools in these kids hands and give them the opportunity to learn the trade first-hand and build relationships of their own, giving them a jumpstart on pursuing careers in the industry whether it be on or off the track.”

Philadelphia students include Kyle Baker who will intern with Red Horse Racing and driver David Starr; Brigette Depalma and Chris Lawrence who will be teamed up with TRG Motorsports and drivers T.J. Bell and Donny Lia, respectively; and Jeremy Ortiz who will work with Circle Bar Motorsports and driver Brendan Gaughan.  Washington, DC-based students include Jarel Harris who will team up with Xpress Motorsports and driver Bryan Scott and Serfrederick Hill, II who will work with Circle Bar Racing and driver Rick Crawford. In addition to their race shop duties, the students will also attend a pit crew demonstration at the P.I.T. Instruction and Training facility in Mooresville.  Students will learn the intricate details of each position on the pit crew and will try their hand at tire changing, tire carrying and jacking the car. “For the past six years Sears Craftsman has been a great partner, giving UYRS students life opportunities and exposure that the students in Philadelphia and Washington DC have truly benefited from,” stated UYRS Founder, Anthony Martin. ”With the Craftsman / UYRS Career Development Apprenticeship Program, Craftsman has helped us step our efforts in introducing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) career opportunities within the motorsports industry. I am confident that this life changing apprenticeship program will once again have a life changing experience for this years interns as it has impacted all the UYRS interns since the program was developed in 2004. We are truly grateful to Craftsman for sharing our vision.” To round out their 2008 internship week experience, the students will also take in the 15^th running of the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard taking place at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, July 27.  In addition to race festivities, the students will take in a tour of the historic IMS garage facility, hosted by General Motors Racing Engineers, as well as a tour of the Craftsman Mobile Marketing Experience – giving the students a well-rounded look at both competition and marketing aspects of the motorsports industry.    The Power Stroke Diesel 200 will air live on SPEED on Friday, July 25 beginning at 8:00pm ET from O’Reilly Raceway Park.  The Allstate 400 at the Brickyard will air live on ABC on Sunday, July 27 at 1:00pm ET from Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

About Urban Youth Racing School
UYRS is committed to the education, training and preparation of today’s urban youth through exposure to the automotive and motorsports industry. Since it’s inception in 1998, UYRS has had over 1100 children go through its 10 week “Build A Dream” and “Team Development” Programs involving over 60 mentors who have been a part of the school for over seven years. Additionally, the school has given away over $60,000 in educational scholarships, taken 50 UYRS students to Charlotte, North Carolina to visit and intern with NASCAR race teams, and participates in the annual Sears Craftsman/UYRS weeklong internship program. UYRS is committed to making diversity and youth issues a national priority.  For more information on UYRS, visit www.uyrs.com.

Testimonials from Former Attendees of the Craftsman/UYRS Career Development Apprenticeship Program:

Danny Colon

Age: 20

Student: University of North Carolina, Charlotte

Employed: Joe Gibbs Racing

“This whole UYRS experience has prepared me for my future in many ways. It has been my support system since I was 13 years old. Because of UYRS I have had internships with Craftsman Truck teams, NASCAR, and Joe Gibbs Racing where I am currently employed. UYRS has pushed me to continue my education and has made me a well rounded person because of my many opportunities that I have been presented with. even though I would like to be a driver, I see myself with endless career options if driving doesn’t work out.”

Shawna Jenkins

Age: 19

Full-Time Student: Temple University

“I love the UYRS, I have been involved for five years and I have been focused on my future because of it. After a trip to Charlotte to visit SPEED Channel with UYRS I knew that I had to major in communications when I went to college. Now am I not only majoring in Communications but I am also minoring in Public relations and Marketing. I think with my education in these areas and my involvement in UYRS I will be able to land my dream job in the NASCAR Industry.”