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Cars

Showing cars of their future

So what if they can't drive. Their Motorsports Show proves autos get these kids' engines running.

By MARTY CLEAR
Published March 18, 2005

BRANDON - It may be the only car show in town that's run by people who aren't old enough to drive.

This morning, students from the Burns Middle School Motorsports Club will stage their second annual show, featuring dozens of motor vehicles of almost every description: street rods, luxury roadsters, restored antique cars, motorcycles, go-karts and even radio-controlled cars.

"Basically, it's anything that moves and has an engine," said James Gibbs, an eighth-grade math teacher at Burns and the faculty sponsor of the club.

The fledgling show is aimed almost exclusively at Burns students. They have a nonacademic day scheduled for today, the last day before spring break, so they have a variety of activities to choose from. Maybe 100 or so will gather around the school's bus loop for a look at some of the coolest wheels in the area.

Gibbs is the grown-up who keeps an eye on the sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students in the club, but he stresses that it's the kids who have really shaped the club and the show.

"These kids are amazing," Gibbs said.

It wasn't until last year that Burns even had a car club. Some of Gibbs' colleagues knew he was a car and motorcycle buff, so they suggested he try to get some kind of car club started. He thought it was a fairly lame idea.

After all, the middle school students max out at about 14 years of age. Surely, he figured, they wouldn't be interested enough in cars to spend their off-hours talking about engines.

But he posted a signup sheet for the new club on a bulletin board. More than 60 students signed up.

That was actually twice as many as the club could handle; Burns caps the membership of its clubs so they won't get too lopsided.

It wasn't just the number of potential members that surprised Gibbs. The students who wanted to join the club seemed to have encyclopedic knowledge of cars. They were conversant on everything from automotive history to mechanics.

Gibbs is no novice to cars himself. He's been a diehard General Motors and Harley-Davidson man his entire life. His current vehicles include a 1975 Camaro, a 1997 Fat Boy Custom and a 2001 Chevy S10. So he knows cars, but some of the students can match his expertise.

"You'd be amazed how much a 12-year-old can know about cars," Gibbs said. "I actually learn things from talking to these kids."

Still, Gibbs was a little leery when the club members suggested last year that they put on a show.

"I thought there was no way they were going to pull this thing off,' Gibbs said. "I didn't think they'd be able to get five cars. But I said, if you want to do it, let's try it."

Last year's inaugural edition of the show brought in about 20 cars. Gibbs was pleasantly surprised; some of the students were disappointed.

"Last year we had a lot of people who said they'd bring stuff, but they didn't," said Zach Yarbrough, an eighth-grader who has worked on both shows.

This year, things are better organized. Everyone in the club has an assignment. Some students are talking to the media, some are making signs, and some are going to work security, making sure other students don't accidentally damage the cars.

So far, about 30 people have promised to bring vehicles to the show. Gibbs said he hopes the show will continue to grow and eventually be a public event with a nominal admission charge that will help support club activities.

"One problem we had this year is that it's scheduled for the same weekend as (the 12 Hours of) Sebring" endurance race, Gibbs said. "So a lot of people are going to be getting ready to go on the road, or they'll already be on the road."

But still, the lineup is impressive, including restored classics and race cars owned by Fred Lay, the former owner of East Bay Raceway and a major supporter of the club.

"We have a lot of classic antiques, and that's pretty cool," said club member Elijah Flores, an eighth-grader. "I'd have to say I like the newer cars better, but I like the antiques too."

This time of year, the monthly club meetings are mostly focused on the show. But Gibbs also makes sure the students learn something at every meeting. Guest speakers come in and talk about all aspects of motor vehicles.

Gibbs gives all the credit for the success of the club and the show to the student members.

"It's all about the kids," he said.

The students return the praise.

"I love cars, I just love the club and I love Mr. Gibbs," said Phillip MacGirvin, an eighth-grader who joined the club this academic year. "He's the best guy in the school for the club."

[Last modified March 17, 2005, 08:40:12]