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GHS PLACES SECOND IN NATIONAL F1 IN SCHOOLS CONTEST

May 19, 2014
 
Affinity F1  
 
Affinity F1, the Formula One in Schools team from Granbury High School team, placed second at the national competition on May 16-17, 2014, at the Michigan International Speedway. The students will be one of two teams representing the United States in the world finals.
 
By winning second, the team is advancing to the 2014 World Finals to be held November 14-23 at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi. The competition will bring students from more than forty countries to the United Arab Emirates capital “in a combined display of talent ahead of a blistering final showdown where the winning teams will be crowned.”
 
This marks the second straight year for GHS to qualify for the international contest. Last year, the competition was held in Austin.
 
At nationals, the GHS squad also won Best Team Identity, honoring the group for things such as uniforms, professionalism, and sportsmanship.
 
Affinity Racing The team members are students in career and technical education classes: Chloe Scroggins, project manager; Ian McMasters, manufacturing engineer; Christina Hager, resource manager; Tyler Johnson, graphic designer; and Hayden Coppenbarger and Tommy Wallace, design engineers. Other students assisting the team are Cade Timmons and Daniel Valdez.
 
Coach Todd Gibson was assisted by career and technical education director Judy Gentry as well as GHS teachers Greg Belleau, Tammy Bodine, Dawn Bradley, and Jud Griffith.
 
Total Equipment and Service and Fleet Ink lead a long list of backers at the title sponsors. Other supporters are: platinum sponsors – Sky-Tec, Fat Rat Wraps, Thomas Meyers Automotive, DCP Midstream, Granbury Optimist Club, Granbury ISD; gold sponsors – Community Bank, The Blevins Family, Epic Well Services, Van Griffith Kia; silver sponsors – Geo Log, SPEC, All About Sports, Dave’s Jewelry; bronze sponsors – Marcy Gilbreath, First National Bank of Granbury, Motor Sports Enterprises.
 
In April, the group won grand champion honors at the Texas regional contest at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin. The team also won awards for best verbal presentation, best pit display, best portfolio, and fastest car.
 
F1 in Schools is a multi-disciplinary challenge in which teams of students aged 9 to 19 deploy CAD/CAM software to collaborate, design, analyze, manufacture, test, and then race miniature gas-powered balsa wood F1 cars. The challenge inspires students to use technology to learn about physics, aerodynamics, design, manufacture, branding, graphics, sponsorship, marketing, leadership/teamwork, media skills and financial strategy, and apply them in a practical, imaginative, competitive and exciting way.
 
Pictured above are (left to right) Tommy Wallace, Tyler Johnson, Chloe Scroggins, coach Todd Gibson, Cade Timmons, Hayden Coppenbarger, Ian McMasters, Christina Hager, and Daniel Valdez.