Mar 16, 2022
While there are several “Driver Development” programs across the country, you don’t see much about the development of pit crew members. A lot of short track teams fail to have a consistent team each week at the track, which is really no fault of theirs. Most teams consist of a few good friends that have a passion for motorsports, don’t mind the lack of pay, and giving up their Friday or Saturday night. Even this doesn’t always work because almost all have a full-time career they are dedicated to, or a family at home to spend time with.
On the other end of the spectrum, there are several kids and young adults that have a passion for the sport but lack the money to pursue it as a driver. Or, they do not have family involved in racing, so they are not sure where to begin. It can be intimidating for a kid or young adult to walk the pits of their local short track and get noticed. “I was that kid” Jake said. “Yes, I raced Minicups from the age of 13 but I was still too intimidated to pursue late model teams about helping and getting involved more.” This is what we are setting out to change at Jump Racing.
More from Jake, “I have wanted to start a program like this for a while and now I have that chance. I want to give kids and young adults that chance to get involved in the sport. They are the future, whether it is driving or on a crew. We need their interest to keep the sport alive and I can make a couple dreams come true. I don’t want kids to be intimidated about asking to help and my hope is that more teams see this as an opportunity.”
While we are just getting started, here are some of the program details:
The goal of the Jump Racing Pit Crew Development Program is to give young racing enthusiasts a chance to get involved with a professional short track team. Throughout this program they will work on developing the basic skills and professionalism to further their career in the racing industry. They will be mentored by the driver, crew chief, and other crew members throughout the season, given various jobs that will increase their knowledge of how a motorsports team operates.
Candidate obligations
- Commit to 90% of the racing schedule
- Participate in shop days (as needed/as available)
- Participate in marketing promotion days (as needed/as available)
- Maintain a professional image
- Engage in team social media
- Transportation to and from events
Team obligations
- Pit pass paid at all events
- Food and drink provided at events
- Team shirt provided
Upon completion of a successful and full season Jake (team owner) commits to writing a recommendation and/or being a reference for future positions or jobs outside of Jump Racing. Jump Racing is not responsible for any injuries or accidents. Candidates under the age of 18 must have permission from their parent or guardian in written form.
While we would love to take as many candidates as possible, we will be limiting this year to two positions and hope to expand on this in the future. If you, or someone you know would be interested in this program, please send us an email to jumpracing2003@gmail.com for more details!
