Finishing second place overall out of a Twenty-Two car grid, with local race car driver James McCracken behind the wheel on the final race of the season at Knockhill on the 31st October 2020. The car was one of 3 competing from the College over the last two seasons.
Founded by Patrick McGroarty in 2018, Curriculum Quality Leader of Automotive Engineering at WCS Clydebank Campus, the West College Scotland Motorsport Academy has had an extremely busy few years. The Academy was set up with the aim of providing access to entry level Motorsports to disengaging learners from schools across our College’s regions, run in association with Greenpower Education Trust, a charity which gets young people enthusiastic about science and engineering by challenging them to design, build and race an electric car. The academy has engaged with school students studying entry level automotive course and is also open to all full-time students from level One to HNC.
The Academy continues to attract attention and grows in diversity and strength. West College Scotland were one of the first colleges to actively engage with both Greenpower and competitive track racing at Knockhill, followed by our highly regarded colleagues and now racing rivals Edinburgh College.
The WCSMA are delighted to work alongside talented local racing drivers Glenn Alcock, Kenny Dock and James McCracken for the opportunity to involve our staff and students in an engaging and unique learning environment. Thank you to our dedicated in-house race weekend team made up of lecturing staff Patrick McGroarty, Peter Heywood, Gordon Gill, Joseph Busby are committed to the success of the project and supporting racing weekends, and to all staff at the college who support the Academy.
Alistair Rodgers, Head of Engineering said of the success, “The Motor Sport academy offers students a unique learning experience and allows them the opportunity to develop the skills required to move into employment while also focusing on the real-life challenges within the motor sport industry. Building on the success of the Greenpower programme the latest success in the C1 Cup is testament to the hard work and dedication of the Motor Vehicle staff in developing and delivering a curriculum that fully engages the students. We look forward to further success with the academy as we move forward into the 2021 season.”
Now looking forward to building on their success entering their third season where we may have some exciting developments to announce, the Academy students are ready to go again, taking the cars back to bare body shells to rebuild to a high standard in time for February testing. We wish them all the best for season 2021!