For the third straight year, the Milton Hershey School (MHS) and World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series hosted the Hershey Sprint Car Experience at the Hersheypark Stadium on Thursday, May 8.
Hundreds of MHS students and thousands of Pennsylvania race fans met World of Outlaws and PA Posse drivers, saw their cars up close, got a picture with the World of Outlaws championship trophy, learned about the Series’ safety equipment, saw vintage race cars, and even got to play football with some of the team members.
Five drivers also visited MHS classrooms to talk to students about their careers in motorsports and the importance of the lessons they’re learning in school.
MHS was founded in 1909 and is a top-tier private school for qualifying students in pre-K through 12th grade, offering life-changing opportunities and experiences. This includes Thursday’s Sprint Car Experience that will begin with drivers joining students in class to partake in activities.
Take a look at what the free day of activities looked like for those who were able to attend.
The Hersheypark Stadium was transformed into a Sprint Car wonderland with nearly 30 Sprint Cars, consisting of all World of Outlaws drivers and several PA Posse members surrounding the field. Drivers stood by their cars and met with MHS students for two hours before meeting with the public. Those who attended were also treat to a free Hershey Sprint Car Experience shirt and Brock Zearfoss diecast car.
Before the even started, drivers visited classrooms on the Milton Hershey School campus. Michael “Buddy” Kofoid and Cole Macedo visited an eighth-grade science innovation class to talk about their careers and technical aspects of a Sprint Car.
World Racing Group CEO Brian Carter, Sheldon Haudenschild, Brock Zearfoss and Giovanni Scelzi attended the school’s auto shop program to talk with students about how they can apply what they learn from that class to a career outside of school.
While the World of Outlaws and PA Posse may be rivals on race night, they were allies during the Hershey Sprint Car Experience, helping to promote Sprint Car racing in Pennsylvania and make sure the students and fans are treated to a fun experience.
The entire stadium was filled with students who got the chance to come over from the school and meet every driver. They got to take pictures with them and get their autograph. Some even got to see what it was like to sit in a Sprint Car.
There wasn’t a shirt that left the stadium without a collection of signatures, like Cole Macedo‘s above.
After the students got to visit with the drivers for two hours, the long line of fans waiting outside were let into the stadium at 5 p.m. for their turn at the experience. Thousands of fans roamed the stadium like kids themselves, trying to meet each driver.
Reigning World of Outlaws champion David Gravel was like each driver that day, making time for every fan that stopped by.
To learn more about the Milton Hershey School, visit mhskids.org.
You can now see the drivers and cars in action this weekend at Williams Grove Speedway for the $20,000-to-win HVAC Distributors Morgan Cup on Saturday, May 10. You can get tickets by CLICKING HERE.
If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch for FREE with viewers around the world at watchworldofoutlaws.com or on the RACER Network platforms, DIRTVision, and World of Outlaws social media channels at 7 p.m. (ET) in what will be the largest number of viewers to watch a Sprint Car race.
