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This year, as part of our sponsorship of British Superbike rider Storm Stacey, we have run a competition for automotive students across the country to come and each spend a day with the LKQ Euro Car Parts Kawasaki team.
Our winners have been able to see firsthand how a British Superbike team prepares to compete within such a high-level championship and gain valuable experience to take forward in their career.
A lot of our winners have been able to take advantage of their day by learning from the experienced mechanics within the team, and especially our most recent winner Ben. Thanks to his impressive attitude to learning, Ben was able to provide us with a brilliant account of how his day went and how his experience has benefited him moving forward.
“On arrival, I was greeted by the lovely staff from Autotech Academy. They kindly gave me a pass to go round the paddock. At the hospitality area, Brent (the team owner) was very welcoming and explained how he operates his team. When the racing started, I went to watch the riders go round the track at Copse corner. The engine’s scream felt like it would blow out my eardrums. I was invited to visit the Pits and witnessed the star rider speed off. Whilst I was there, I started talking to one of the mechanics about what they do during and in-between every race. I found the information very informative. My experience day finally ended when the superbikes did the last lap of their second practice session," Ben comments.
Thanks to Ben's receptiveness and enthusiasm, he was able to take full advantage of learning from the senior mechanics in the team."Throughout my time at Silverstone and with the Autotech Academy team I learnt many things. For example, I did not realize the complexity of the relationship between the rider and the mechanics. Another thing that surprised me was how much data they recorded and used to improve the bikes lap times and how all the data is compared to each track to help improve overall performance," Ben explains.
"Finally, through chatting with Brent, I now have an insight on what motorsport teams look out for in their new mechanics - trust. When working on any racing vehicle it is imperative that nuts and bolts must be torqued up to spec and that nothing is misplaced. As a trainee mechanic, I would build trust by ensuring that the right amount of sugar is in everyone’s tea and, that the workshop floor is clean and that everything is put in the right place. Only then, would they allow you to get near the tools and put a wheel on.”
If you would like to find out more about Autotech Academy, email hello@autotechacademy.co.uk or give our team a call on 01234 240503.