Local Racing Team Looks To Create STEAAAM Opportunities for Community Youth
Christopher Lomahquahu
Gila River Indian News
A local auto racing team with roots in the Gila River Indian Community is generating interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) through the use of motorsports. HBM (Highside Blackwater Machine) Racing, a local motorsports team with ties to the Community, invites GRIC youth to come out, turn a wench and understand how STEAM is a part of auto racing.
“We have been racing for years and years now,” said Duncan Wiston, a Community member and member of HBM Racing. “We are three generations of race participants who want to get out and make a difference in the Community and show the youth we can offer a positive outlet to get involved in.”
HBM Racing is a family affair. The team was founded by Luis Bojorquez. Wiston handles marketing and graphic design and his brother, Marcos Bojorquez, drives for the team.
“We’ve been racing in the International Motor Contest Association (IMCA) for three years in the SportMod division,” said Wiston. He said their grandfather’s passion for racing souped-up hot rods with repurposed engines led to their passion in racing.
“[He] passed that onto us when we became of age to get involved in motorsports, Wiston explained. “Marcos started in 2001 … and from there we worked our way up to the IMCA SportMod division. It’s a national organization that can get pretty expensive.”
Wiston said the HBM Racing car is a one-off custom racer built on the chassis of a Chevrolet Chevelle. The car features a roll-cage to protect the driver, high performance Chevrolet 350 crate engine and a custom suspension meant for the racetrack.
In tying everything into STEAM, Wiston said engineering is critical to sending a race car around an oval track. “We have always had the young ones get involved as much as they could or wanted to, just learning the basics of how to prepare a car for racing and competition,” said Wiston. “Because once you learn how to prepare a machine like this for a high performance race, you can develop the skills and become familiar with everyday cars.”
Now that HBM Racing has the time and resources to extend their racing expertise to the Community, they are welcoming GRIC youth into “the pits” to learn about how working on cars is more than four wheels and a fast car.
“We want to share this knowledge and experience with the Community, particularly the youth,” said Wiston, “and give them a positive outlet and something they can apply their energy to that will keep them away from drugs and gangs and a lot of the negative influences.”
Wiston called racing “a creative way to encourage kids to get involved in STEAM programs,” because motorsports involve so many facets of STEAM. There’s the science of how an engine works to the technology incorporated to keep the driver safe, plus the mathematics involved in calculating fuel usage and determining the best gear ratios to compete on a specific track.
HBM Racing has developed a partnership with the Gila River Utility Authority STEAM program by providing a virtual activity every month focused on how math is involved in motorsports educating participants about vehicle safety checks, becoming familiar with different parts of the car, and how to be safe on the road.
Anyone interested in learning about racing can email the team at hbmracing69@gmail.com. To stay up to date with the team, they can be found on Facebook at HBM Racing. Wiston also encourages young Community members to come out, cheer the team on and meet them in the pits.
“There are definitely a lot ways we can reach out to a lot of age groups in the Community,” Wiston said. “When it comes to the more hands-on, technical stuff, young adults will benefit from the knowledge.”
