By Mike Kays

Phoenix Sports Editor

Jason McPeak is Checotah’s Vocational-Agricultural instructor.

Like any good teacher, he’s always looking for a way to get his students fired up.

Outlaw Motor Speedway’s management, always looking for a new marketing twist, might have delivered a way to meet both needs if they can get a high school racing division off the ground.

According to OMS co-owner and promoter Lynn Skinner, it would work this way: Various high schools will make the adjustments on a donated car which will compete for the school in an eight-week series starting on the season’s opening night of racing on March 20 at the dirt track located south of Muskogee at the Wainwright exit off U.S. 69.

“I personally have never taken out a headlight in a car before but I’ve never seen kids this ecstatic,” McPeak said. “I’ve got 79 kids in five classes and not all of them are interested in learning the different compartments of a cow’s stomach or anything about agriculture and they’re just out here because they have to be,” he said. “But you talk to them about this and they love the idea of taking a car apart and building it according to specs.”

Pending approval by the school board, Checotah could be among a group of 8-10 schools who will compete in this front-wheel drive division in every way but having one of their own in the driver’s seat. A check of those schools this week found all are still awaiting formal approval.

“We’ve got some kids who will benefit from something like this,” Vian principal David Vinson said. Vinson is the 2007 Pure Stock champion at OMS. “There’s some liability issues that need to be addressed. With those out of the way, I think it would be a good thing for students.”

Skinner says schools will be required to work on the engine, install a roll cage and other safety equipment in the car and also paint the vehicle.

“And outside of the vo-ag classes, the art class can do the body detail,” Skinner said. “We’re lining up appropriate cars through donors for each school that wants to be a part of this.”

Skinner said the division would be within the new front-wheel drive division, which will have its own season points champion. The high school division would compete against those other cars but with its own points race. The top car at the end of the eight-week run will earn a $1,000 scholarship fund for the winning school.

“It’s a cheap class which makes it easier to get schools involved,” Skinner said. “My son is in high school and I have a daughter in junior high. I don’t know what all they do for recreation but I want them to get involved in a good wholesome activity. And we know that in order to build this track and interest in this track, it’s going to be done from the bottom up.”

Muskogee High is also interested.