In a press release by Buxton Racing, it was announced that Charlie is enrolled in the Race 101 program (race101.net). 14 kids from the US and Canada were chosen to participate. Charlie was lucky enough to receive a full scholarship for the program. The program lasts all year. He has traveled to their shop in Denver NC for weekend classes. Approx. every 2 weeks they have webinars also. The program is to build a better driver. This includes not only the driving aspect but knowing how to work on shocks, engine, communicating with crew chief, car set up, and also marketing and public relations is a big part. The goal is to be well rounded. The top graduate of the program which will be announced in Nov/Dec will receive a full ride on the Pass South series for 2011.
RPM. How did you get involved with Race 101?
Charlie. Tom Netishen had contacted me through Myspace and told me that there was a new program called Race 101 in North Carolina. He told me all about the program and encouraged me to sign up for it. It was being run by Tony Blanchard, former crew chief for Joey Logano in the Hooters Pro Cup Series. I filled out the form and mailed it in. Later on in the year I received a letter in the mail that told me I was 1 out of the 10 students in the country to receive the scholarship for the program. I have gone down the last weekend of January, February, and March, and will be headed back down the last weekend of June to test a Super Late Model at Hickory Motor Speedway.
RPM. Is this your first time working with Race101?
Charlie. Yes, this is my first time working with Tony Blanchard and the Race 101 program. From the three trips so far I have made to North Carolina I have learned quite a bit of new information. We’ve learned about taking apart, adjusting, and building shocks, basic parts of the car and how they work, marketing and PR, and a lot more. I also have webinars, online classes, every other Tuesday of the month. We have learned a lot more about engines, shocks and springs, and a whole lot more through those classes.
RPM. How does the late model compare to the legends car you drove in NELCAR?
Charlie. The Late Model is quite a bit different from the legends cars that I used to drive. The legends were a lot lighter with quite a bit of motor, so you could throw those cars around almost anywhere and drive them practically sideways and be fast. With the Late Model, you have to be smooth, you can scrub off any speed. Especially with the slick tires compared to the grooved tires on a legend, you need to be consistent and smooth. So far I’m having a really fun racing the new car, its a new task that I’ve been getting used too and I’m starting to pick up on it more and more every week.
RPM. Where are you racing this season?
Charlie. We don’t really have a set schedule on where we’re going to be racing this season, so far we’ve raced at Unity and Wiscasset. Our next definite race will be July 24th at Beech Ridge for the ACT 150. We might try to get into the Oxford 250 but we’re not sure if we will try and do that this year or not yet, it all depends on money and sponsors for how many more races we do this year, but we’ll definitely do quite a few more before the season is over.
RPM. If you win the Race 101 Competition will you be moving down south?
Charlie. No, I don’t see us moving down south anytime in the near future. We still haven’t quite figured out what I will do if I win yet, if I will fly back and forth or what. We’ll just have to worry about that when the time comes. It would be pretty cool to win the thing though and have that guaranteed ride next year.
RPM. If you not chosen, what will your plans be?
Charlie. If I don’t win, my plans for next year will be run as much of the ACT Tour as we can, hopefully we would be able to do the whole thing. It will all depend on money and sponsors for how much of the tour we will actually run.
RPM. What are your plans for this weekend?
Charlie. I’m gonna be taking the next couple weeks of from racing. We need to save up some money to buy tires to test on for the ACT race at Beech Ridge and tires for the actual race itself. I’ll be at Beech Ridge for Thursday Night Thunder this week.