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SPOTLIGHT ON: Kneeland Grades On A Curve

A fourth-year NASCAR Whelen All-American Series driver in Washington might be one of the coolest “teachers” in the state.

Joe Kneeland, 49, of Bothel, Wash., is among the track and state points leaders racing at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Wash. He competes in the Street Stock division, which is the feature division at the dual oval facility.

Kneeland’s race car has become a focal point for local high school students who want to learn about cars, competition, safe driving, team work and sportsmanship.

Kneeland’s pit crew is made of a student club, The Rams Auto Pirates, who attend Ingraham High School in Seattle. The students help work on Kneeland’s race car during the week, and make up his pit crew at Evergreen Speedway.

The team’s record so far this season at Evergreen Speedway is 16 starts, 2 wins, 11 top fives and 15 top 10s. They are second in state points and fourth in track points entering this weekend’s competition.

“There had been a couple of horrible accidents as the result of kids street racing,” Kneeland said. “I reached out to the high school to propose a program for students in Advanced Auto Shop . We wanted to promote driver safety and awareness, and build a program where students could use their classroom studies in hands-on activities.”

The 2010 NASCAR-licensed student teammates who make up The Rams Auto Pirates include:
• Michael Gonzalez, senior, club president and mechanic;
• Kilian Roggierro-Upton, junior, vice president and tire specialist;
• Sam Karcher, freshman, secretary and tire specialist;
• Jorge Limon-Hernandez, junior, treasurer and tire specialist;
• Zhen Wu, junior, tires/mechanic;
• Dakota J. Bryant, senior. mechanic;
• Atticus George-Andrijeski, freshman, spotter, cameraman, tire specialist;
• Rahul Meham, senior, webmaster.

“These students are totally into it,” Kneeland said. “They were told they would have to keep their grades up across the board at school, and in many cases, their grades improved.

“Everyone has a specialty on the car, but their responsibilities are rotated to everyone has all the experiences. All in all, they’re hands on and they get it.”

Being at the track and having responsibilities is fun for the students, but Evergreen Speedway also becomes an extension of their classroom studies, and not just in Advanced Auto Shop.

“There is a science to speed that relates to a lot of studies,” Kneeland said.

Don Reynoldson, a certified Auto Shop instructor at Ingraham High School, has seen students in the club benefit from Kneeland’s racing program.

“It’s one thing for students to learn what they need to answer questions on a test. We can teach what works. The students in the club are learning about how things work, and that brings them real value in real life experience,” Reynoldson said.

“Geometry, torque, physics, automotive engineering, time management, business management, writing, communication, and all these disciplines are involved in the club’s racing experience. Our school system offers a great classroom experience, don’t get me wrong. The students in the club have been able to take what they’ve learned in class and make real world sense of it. There is a science to speed.

“We’re so proud of the students in the club,” Reynoldson said. “Suddenly they have a new direction in education to please themselves. It goes beyond pleasing their teachers and parents. They are getting into some college areas of learning. This experience will be a real value to them in their continuing education and careers. How cool is that?”

Because of the unique variables of racing at Evergreen Speedway, there are multiple opportunities to learn, Kneeland said. Among them, the Street Stock division is scheduled to compete 14 times on the .375-mile oval and five times on the big .675-mile track, which requires a complete change in the car’s setup. And due to the region’s wet climate, racing on the .375-mile oval goes on before the track’s large covered grandstand, rain or shine.

Local sponsorship is vital to keeping the race car and racing club on track, Kneeland said.

Sponsors include Superior Marine Service Inc. and “Pete” Peterson, Richard Harriman Motorsports and Howard Harriman, Precision Automotive and Jason Bigalow, and Kneeland’s business, Northwest Custom Gutter.

Kneeland’s adult crewmen include Frankie Marin and Howard Harriman.