Alumni Feature
SPEED RACERS
WEEKEND RACING WARRIORS STORY BY DALE LONG
ALUMNI TRIO STILL CHASING R ACING DRE A MS, CHECKERED FL AGS
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hough a Rose-Hulman graduate hasn’t yet been behind the wheel in the Indianapolis 500 or Daytona 500, a trio of mechanical engineering alumni have rubbed tires, bumped fenders and dashed to the finish line with some of motorsports’ elite while enjoying successful driving careers. Two years after graduating, 2007 alumnus Shane Hollingsworth put his name alongside motorsports hall of famers A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti and Al Unser Sr. as winners of the United States Auto Club Silver Crown series’ prestigious Hoosier Hundred race at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. That 2009 victory came after a harrowing pre-race week, but more about that later.
“Driving a race car is an exhilarating experience, and the sensation of speed and adrenaline is hard to replicate in other things. I also enjoy competing against some incredibly talented drivers to see who’s best.” — Derek Bischak (ME, 2011)
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Another sprint car racing veteran, 2011 graduate Derek Bischak, has scored victories against NASCAR Cup Series champions Tony Stewart and Joey Logano, while being named the Silver Crown series’ 2019 Rookie of the Year. Meanwhile, the budding racing career of 2018 alumnus Dakota Jackson already includes top-three placings during the past two Midwest sprint car series championship seasons and being named the Hoosier Auto Racing Fans’ 2009 First-Year Driver of the Year. His racing resume also features a national championship in the smaller-scale micro sprint car series and four national division titles in five years competing in the entry-level quarter midget racing circuit.
