The Roar Before The Rolex 24 has long provided IMSA with an opportunity to showcase high-level sportscar racing to a younger audience. The tradition of inviting scouts and guides to camp on the infield through the weekend, for instance, lives on in 2025.
But that’s not all this year, as the new and ambitious IMSA STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) educational made its debut yesterday in the paddock at Daytona.
A group of 30 high school students with STEM or automotive-related interests from two local high schools in nearby Port Orange took part and were handed a golden opportunity to tour the paddock with key personnel and get up close and personal with the IMSA SportsCar Championship.
Throughout the day they were taken to various areas of the circuit to get a feel for how their areas of study can be applied to a real-world, competitive setting. This included visits to Michelin’s tyre compound, the IMSA Engineering Center, IMSA Tech Inspection Area, IMSA Technology Lap and GTP team Action Express’ garage.
At each step of the way, the students were given opportunities to ask pertinent questions and engage with the likes of IMSA Racing supervisor official Jim Fowler, Action Express’ director of operations Chris Mitchum, Cadillac’s LMDh tech lead Aaron Pfeifer, and IMSA President John Doonan.
“I’m so proud that we could kick this off this year. It’s something, that I think is incredibly important for the entire sport,” Doonan told reporters. “I have a personal interest and fascination with it, simply because I have had an experience and been able to do this previously in IMSA.
“Now that we have, thanks to (STEM partners) Gainbridge® and Konica Minolta, the resource to do it, backed up by Everfi (custom education) and their ability to not only support us on-site, but also when the students leave and when the educators leave, then they can refer to what they experienced.
“As I said in the opening yesterday morning, what we’re doing here is a laboratory. It’s a laboratory for the automakers, a laboratory for Michelin on the tyre front and a laboratory for all these teams. For the students to be able to see what they’re doing in the classroom, be applied in a real-world environment.
“That gives me in all of my IMSA teammates, a lot of satisfaction. These students here, some of the top students from the Volusia County schools surrounding the Daytona area, they’re our future. We are going to do it at five other races this year and then have a web portal to allow the educators and students to follow up. For me, it’s the best of both worlds.”
The new IMSA STEM curriculum has been developed in conjunction with EVERFI, which works with more than 60,000 teachers and their schools across the United States, providing interactive, game-based lessons to help prepare students for the world at work.
The premiere yesterday is just the beginning for this initiative. It is set to continue throughout the 2025 season, with additional experiences set to be offered to students at schools local to other selected IMSA events.
Image courtesy of IMSA
