Castrol SYNTEC Outperformers Scholarship Program Honors Student Driven With a Passion for Automobiles
BP Lubricants USA Inc. and John Force Racing Name Chris Burd Most Passionate Young Car Lover in America, Burd Receives Apprenticeship With Auto Enthusiast Funkmaster Flex
INDIANAPOLIS, Aug. 31 -- Legendary drag racing champion John Force and teammate Eric Medlen today recognized Chris Burd of San Luis Obsipo, Calif., as the national winner of the 2005 Castrol SYNTEC Outperformers Scholarship Program and America's most passionate young car lover. Burd was honored during a special ceremony at the NHRA 51st Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis.
The Castrol SYNTEC Outperformers Scholarship Program encourages and attracts America's most passionate young car lovers to careers as automotive technicians while recognizing students already pursuing or enrolled in automotive service education.
As the national winner, Chris Burd "outperformed" more than 600 students from across the United States. He receives a $7,500 scholarship from BP Lubricants USA Inc. and Primedia to attend an advanced racing, high- performance or automotive education program.
The aim of the scholarship is the same as that of the Castrol SYNTEC Outperformers program -- to expand young technicians' knowledge of automotive maintenance and technology through continuing their pursuit of automotive service careers. As part of his scholarship package, Burd also receives a week-long apprenticeship with Funkmaster Flex's Team Baurtwell in New York.
"We've enjoyed being involved in the SYNTEC Outperformers program these last four years," Force said, "because it encourages the young individuals who'll be the racing crew chiefs of the future. I want to personally salute Chris Burd as the national scholarship winner."
"This is a great program, one that encourages young people like Chris to follow their dreams," said Medlen, second year driver of the Castrol SYNTEC Funny Car and a former mechanic on Force's Castrol GTX car. "The driver gets all the credit but it's the crew that makes everything happen. With the growth of drag racing and NASCAR, there are going to be more and more opportunities for guys like Chris. And girls, too."
Burd, 18, graduated from San Luis Obispo High School this year and now attends Cuesta College, also in San Luis Obispo. He became interested in cars two years ago and has since dedicated himself to learning as much as he can about them.
Burd's dedication allowed him to place first in the Cuesta Hi-Tac Competition at Cuesta College. He also took first place in the SkillsUSA regional competition for automotive technology while still in high school. Burd's goal is to earn an ASE Master Technician Certification, the highest honor bestowed by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence.
After a recent trip to Europe, Burd's dream is to one day open an automotive repair shop in Germany with his best friend.
"He reminds me a lot of myself when I was young," said Funkmaster Flex. "Chris has a passion for cars and I think he'll fit right in with my guys at Team Baurtwell."
"I hope I get to work on really cool cars when I meet Flex," said Burd. "At some point, I also want to learn about high performance components for cars such as turbos and super chargers. I would also like to improve my skills in diagnostics and transmissions."
"The need for quality automotive technicians has never been so high," said Mike DeBiasi, BP Lubricant's PCO Market Space Manager. "Chris' passion was evident in his application and we hope that, with this scholarship, he'll be able to accomplish some of the educational and professional goals he's set for himself. He's done so much already."
Burd was selected from more than 600 students ages 16 to 25 who entered online at http://www.syntecoutperformers.com/ between March 1 and June 15. A panel of judges including Force, Funkmaster Flex and automotive media and industry representatives from BP Lubricants USA Inc., Mac Tools and Primedia, the nation's largest publisher of automotive enthusiast magazines, selected four regional finalists before determining an overall winner.
The Northeast/Central regional winner was David Venis of Lebanon, Ind. the West winner was Ryan Lander of Shawnee, Okla., and the Southeast winner was Stanley Cain II of Nashville, Tenn.
Burd and the three other regional winners received two tickets to the NHRA Finals, $1,000 worth of new Mac Tools, a year's supply of Castrol SYNTEC motor oil, Primedia magazine subscriptions and membership into the Castrol SYNTEC Outperformers Club, among other prizes.
For encouraging the most students to enter the scholarship program, BP Lubricants USA Inc. and the Outperformers Scholarship Program also honored John Biscardi, an automotive instructor at the Ocean County Vocational Technical School in Jackson, N.J. He receives a similar prize package as the regional winners.
BP Lubricants USA Inc. markets premium lubricants and business-building programs directly to independent lube operators, service providers, new car dealers and leading retailers. Our leadership brands include: Castrol(R) GTX(R) - a premium conventional motor oil; Castrol(R) GTX High-Mileage(TM) - designed for vehicles with over 75,000 miles; Castrol(R) GTX(R) Start Up(TM) - formulated to provide superior wear protection during the critical start-up period; Castrol(R) SYNTEC(R) BLEND(TM) - with an added level of synthetic protection; Castrol(R) SYNTEC(R) - a full-synthetic, super-premium motor oil; as well as our range of commercial transport lubricants. To find out more about Castrol products and programs, please call 1-888-CASTROL or log on to http://www.castrol.com/us .
For more than a decade, Funkmaster Flex has been the most-listened-to DJ in the New York area reaching more than 2 million listeners every week through his now-nationally syndicated radio program. When he's on the air, 10 percent of all New York radio listeners tune in to his Hot 97.1 station. Flex also hosts a half-hour Spike TV series called "Ride with Funkmaster Flex," which mixes celebrity personalities and car fanatics such as Tracy McGrady, Donovan McNabb of the Philadelphia Eagles, Eminem, Blink 182, and others with elements of car culture, including drag racing events and demolition derbies. The show features Flex's Team Baurtwell transforming several celebrity vehicles with tune-ups, customizations and beyond-your-wildest-dreams accessories. Team members comprise expert technicians and die-hard enthusiasts devoted to vehicle customization and performance. The "Funkmaster Flex Super Series" is Flex's new TV show premiering this year on the same network. The show exposes the world of motorsports to new groups of people by providing up-close views of a new type of stock car racing and candid profiles of emerging drivers. Drivers from across the country compete during a 10-race season for cash and prizes, including Flex's own 1969 Z28 Camaro.
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