Hours before Bojangles' Qualifying heats up the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL™, attendees to the speedway's first STEM Expo on Friday learned the technical side of racing through hands-on displays, live demonstrations and interactive activities.
Visitors to the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Expo - located at zMAX Dragway - gained first-hand knowledge of how motorsports has evolved both from a technological and from a safety aspect. More than 1,200 students from schools spanning Virginia and the Carolinas learned from 40 interactive displays, one of which included a crash course in robotics.
Among the attractions were an in-depth NASCAR inspection laser technology display as well as reaction-testing platforms and Q&A sessions featuring dignitaries including Darrell Waltrip and Max Papis.
Charlotte Motor Speedway's STEM program has expanded to include a comprehensive STEM curriculum that hosts more than 12,000 students per year and educates students from elementary school to high school from states throughout the Southeast.
