Two Lincoln Tech Students Join Pit Crews, One Goes to Winner’s Circle

Pictured Above: John Lipscomb, Megan Meyer (of Randy Meyer Racing), Beau Fleming.

It was quite a weekend for Lincoln Tech students John Lipscomb and Beau Fleming at the 2019 Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis – the largest drag racing event in the world.  They wound up in a sister vs. sister showdown working on cars driven by Megan and Rachel Meyer for Randy Meyer Racing – and John was lucky enough to accompany Megan to the winner’s circle.

This amazing experience all started when John and Beau, both Automotive Technology students at Lincoln’s Nashville, TN campus, applied to the Respect Is Learned in the Pits contest. The contest is organized and administered by Technician Academy, an automotive organization that hosts training events at campuses with automotive training programs like Lincoln Tech, in consultation with Randy Meyer racing. A panel of automotive industry professionals reviews and selects the winners.

Randy Meyer Racing has partnered with Technician Academy to bring students to the track for three consecutive years. Randy Meyer, a champion and respected member of NHRA Drag Racing, and his team like to give back to the racing community. “We’re always looking for a way to help,” explains driver Megan Meyer. “This is the perfect opportunity to encourage students to step outside the classroom to gain hands-on experience and add to their resumes*.” Lincoln Tech’s Nashville campus was thrilled to hear that not one, but two of their students would be making the trip to Indy. “I was excited to learn both of these students won the opportunity to work with the Randy Meyer Racing Team,” offers Lincoln Tech instructor Michael O’Guin. “They were great students in class and I am sure they were great representatives at the track. I hope they are able to take advantage of this opportunity and apply what they learned to further their careers.”

Things started to heat up quickly at the race, as these two newbie techs got the opportunity to work on some of the highest-performing race machines on earth – Top Alcohol dragsters.  John was part of the crew for Megan Meyer’s car, and Beau worked for Rachel Meyer’s pit crew. “Beau was a great help,” says Rachel. “He picked up fast on things and did everything we asked without hesitation—a real contribution to our team*.”  “John was pleasant to work with and fit right in with the guys,” added Megan. “He has a quiet demeanor but is very knowledgeable and not afraid to ask questions. He was especially helpful when we were rushed between elimination rounds on Monday*.”

The cars, and students, were pitted against one another in the semifinal round, with Megan taking the win by less than one-tenth of a second. Megan then went on to the finals – and wound up in the winner’s circle, with John, a beaming member of her winning team by her side. “Beau and John were two of the best young techs we’ve worked with,” says Randy Meyer. “We would not hesitate to have them join us again*.”

All the stars aligned for these lucky students, as 2019 was the first time Randy Meyer Racing and Technician.Academy decided to invite two students to participate in this unique opportunity to acquire industry connections, gain respect amongst their peers and future employers, and create memories that last a lifetime. “I’m out of words to describe how I feel,” says John. “It was absolutely awesome. I’m not sure what I expected, but I got way more out of it than I hoped for. I never met a cooler bunch of people to be around and I learned a ton. The weekend reinforced my desire—I’m going to be involved with racing in one form or another*.”

“The weekend was unreal,” says Beau. “The guys I worked with were awesome. I learned quite a bit. It was cool how the cars are made to be worked on—and worked on fast. I’ve always wanted to do something in racing, and after this weekend I want to do it even more*.”

When you pursue Automotive Technology training at Lincoln Tech, you never know where you’ll wind up.

*Source:   https://technician.academy/student-technicians-join-pit-crew-land-in-winners-circle