18 February 2017–Austin Dillon during practice for the Daytona 500 at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, FL.(HHP/Alan Marler)
Richard Childress Racing (RCR) has teamed up with The Dow Chemical Company to launch an online education program for children highlighting the importance of science, technology and engineering in the sport of racing.
The companies are set to unveil the learning modules this weekend during NASCAR’s Watkins Glen International race in upstate New York. It will be promoted by RCR driver Austin Dillon, whose car on Sunday will be branded with the No. 3 Dow STEM Chevrolet logo.
The online educational program, which was created with input from North Carolina State University and Mount Airy High School educators, offers kids hands-on experiments in the field of STEM (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics). It’s kicking off with lessons in physics, with math and chemistry modules publishing later this year. All will be centered around racing.
“I depend on my crew chief and engineers for their knowledge every day, so it’s cool to think that their passion for science and math was sparked when they were kids,” Dillon said in a statement.
The experiments, which can all be conducted at home with common materials such as wooden blocks and rubber bands, teach kids the mechanics of racing, from car crashes and acceleration to car design.
