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For Immediate Release - May 29, 2008 - From Jim Irvine - Merrittville Public Relations - 905-892-8266
Thorold, Ontario (May 29) When Sprint Car Fans in Niagara get their first and only look at the winged machines at Merrittville Speedway - May 31st – they will also get their first look at FIRST Robotics.
Westlane Secondary School is home to Westlane Robotics.
Westlane Robotics has proudly fielded a team in the unique varsity sport of the mind designed to help high-school-aged young people discover how interesting and rewarding the life of engineers and scientists can be.
Founded by inventor Dean Kamen (famous for the Segway scooter) with a vision to inspire students to participate in careers in science and technology by providing them a challenging sport-like competition where they can compete like crazy on the field and collaborate like crazy off.
The FIRST Robotics Competition stages a new game each year, played by autonomous and tele-operated (remote controlled) robots. The robots are designed and built in 6 weeks (from of a common set of parts) by a team of 15 to 25 high-school-aged young people and a handful of engineers-mentors. The students remotely control the robots in competition rounds on the field. Each school year, teams are formed in the fall. Mentors are required from the community (companies, universities, technicians, engineers) in order to make this a fully successful program.
The FIRST Robotics Competition Kickoff in early January starts the six-week "build" season. Competitions, called Regionals lead up to the Championship Event that is held annually in Atlantic Georgia.
The Spartonics Team 1503 from Westlane Secondary School placed 10th overall out of 86 teams in their division .
Teachers, Engineers from General Motors in St. Catharines and other mentors have played a big part in the success of the team whose ages range from 13 to 19 years of age.
Their display inside the front gates May 31st should prove to be quite interesting – make sure you check it out – not to mention what they have planned as a demonstration on the front-stretch during the night.
In the mean time visit www.spartonics.org to see what Westlane Secondary School Robotics is all about.
Joining the high school and the ASCS Patriot Sprint Group is a 50 lap Original Pizza Logs Sportsman
Main Event plus the Hoosier Stocks and the Turn 4 Collision 4 Cylinders.
For further information on Merrittville Speedway – including the only ASCS Patriot Sprint Group visit of 2008 and the 50 lap Sportsmen Event and more – visit merrittvillespeedway.com or call 905-892-8266.
Join us this season on a Saturday Night for A DIRT WEEKLY RACING SERIES EVENT featuring FIVE Weekly Racing Divisions or one of our spectacular special events such as the only 2008 visit of the ASCS Patriot Sprint Group featuring local heroes and up-coming new stars!
Make your plans … call your friends and maybe even get a car pool together (we know gas isn’t cheap these days) and enjoy!
Your Local Dirt Track is where it's at!! Merrittville Speedway "The Best Family Entertainment in Niagara "
MERRITTVILLE SPEEDWAY SPONSORS
The 2008 DIRT Weekly Racing Series for Merrittville Speedway’s 5 Divisions and special events are brought to fans by partners including David Chevrolet Corvette in addition to contingency sponsors Bilstein Shock Absorbers, Hoosier Tire Canada, Inside Track Motorsport News, Intercomp, ISC Racer’s Tape, Jaz Products, Kirkey Racing Fabrication, Motorsports Safety Systems, Port City Racing, R.J.S. Racing Equipment, Sway-A-Way, Ultra Shield Race Products, Outerwears and XRP, Inc.
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