5 CMS Students In "Great Race"

May 27, 2017 at 06:26 am by bryan


Central Magnet School students Matt Norman, Jacob Hendrixson, Joey Hughes, Hunter Jones and Chris Johnson are the team riding in a 1953 Pontiac Chieftan on America's backroads from Florida to Michigan in the The Great Race. The antique auto will be driven by Rutherford County SRO Sergeant Scott Culp.

Senior Financial Advisor and Vice President Rob Norman of US Bancorp presented a $1,000 check to President Jeremy Byrd of the Stones River Region of the Antique Automobile Club of America. The funds will help finance Central Magnet School students to be the first Tennessee high school to compete in The Great Race June 24th to July 2nd from Jacksonville, Florida to Traverse City, Michigan.

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Lunch Stop June 26th In 'Boro

Rutherford County residents can see The Great Race entries race when all 149 teams arrive for a lunch-top about noon on June 26th (Monday) at Cannonsburgh Pioneer Village in Murfreesboro. NewsRadio WGNS will be there.

The Great Race tests the driver and navigators' ability to follow precise course instructions and to endure a cross-country trip at or below the posted speed limit, stated the Great Race web site (http://www.greatrace.com/).

Each day, the team receives about 220 course instructions to indicate every turn, speed change, stop and start for the day with four to seven checkpoints recording the exact time. The objective is to arrive at each checkpoint at the correct time.

School Resource Officer Sgt. Scott Culp will drive the Chieftan with the students. Culp's wife, Jenny, a Central 6th grade teacher, and mechanic Dean Holland of Holloway High School, will accompany the students in a car hauler with tools and parts.

"The odometer will be covered," Culp said. "Our goal is to be on the second."

Norman said the student navigators will guide Culp on the Dixie Highway with a map, charts and a white board. The map instructs directions and speed while the chart describes how long it takes for the car to go. The white board works out math calculations to calculate how much to increase or decrease our speed based on acceleration and deceleration.

"We're basically his GPS," Norman said.

President Jeremy Byrd and the late treasurer Dr. Jay Werthmuller of the Stones River Region of the Antique Automobile Club of America in Murfreesboro were instrumental in locating and purchasing the car to draw in younger members. The club and students worked on replacing tires and other parts.

Central Magnet Principal John Ash allowed the Central Magnet Car Club to form. Central Magnet and Holloway students worked on the car together.

Students raised $25,000 for expenses.

About 18 months ago, Byrd met with The Great Race Director Jeff Stumb, Murfreesboro City officials and the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce and convinced him to set up a stop in Murfreesboro. Again, that will be for a lunch break on Monday, June 26th at Cannonsburgh. The public is encouraged to be there and welcome the teams.

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