The Hot Rodders of Tomorrow Engine Challenge had their first event of the 2016 season at the 9th Annual Race & Performance Expo in Schaumburg, IL February 20-21. Thirty-two teams gathered to compete for their chance to qualify for the National Dual Championships, which are held at the SEMA andPRI Shows later in the year.
NHRA Top Fuel driver Antron Brown kicked off the event with some encouraging words for the young and aspiring teens who have interests in the industry. After clinching yet another World Championship in 2015, Brown is familiar with "countdowns" and was invited to lead the crowd in the first countdown of the year for the Hot Rodders of Tomorrow.
After two days of hard work and determination, Team Motiev Gear from Belvidere North High School came out with the fastest time of 23:29. The other seven qualifying teams included Team Taylor Cable (Fremd High School), Team Firestone and Team Design Engineering (Joliet Central High School), Team Howard Cams (Belvidere North High School), Team Fel-Pro and Team Autometer (Lockport High School), and Team Royal Purple (South Elgin High School).
These young rodders are gearing up for the next round of competition at the Summit-I-X Piston Powered Auto-Rama in Cleveland, OH March 19-20. A new set of high school teams will come together and compete for thsir chance to qualify for the National Dual Championships. Visit HotRoddersOfTomorrow.com to see the complete results from the weekend.
The Hot Rodders of Tomorrow Engine Challenge 2016 Schedule is as follows:
- Summit I-X Piston Powered Auto-Rama: Cleveland, Ohio; March 19-20, 2016
- Tarrant College Hot Rodders Qualifier: Forth Worth, Texas; March 26, 2016
- Coker TIre Chattanooga Cruise-In: Chattanooga, Tennessee; April 2, 2016
- Magnaflow Exhaust Event: Santa Margarita, California; April 2, 2016
- Summit Racing Atlanta Motorama: Atlanta; April 16-17, 2016
- UTI Pennsylvania Qualifier: Exton, Pennsylvania; April 23, 2016
- Edelbrock Car Show: Torrance, California; May 14, 2016
- Lane Automotive Car Show: Watervliet, Michigan; May 28, 2016
- UTI Northern CA Qualifier: Sacramento, California; June 4, 2016
- 11th Annual NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl of Street Legan Drag Racing: Joliet, Illinois; July 30-31, 2016
- SEMA Show: Las Vegas; November 1-4, 2016 (National Dual Championships)
- Peformance Racing Industry (PRI) Show: Indianapolis; December 8-10, 2016 (National Dual Championships)