School Pride Meets the Starting Line at Darana Dragway

With engines roaring and school names written on car windows, Darana Dragway, formerly Milan Dragway, became a school-spirit showdown April 25 for Battle of the Schools.

The event, formerly known as the High School Nationals, brought high school and college racers to the Milan track for time trials and eliminations. Wilson Talent Center left with the championship belt after being named the overall school winner.

The April event also marked the return of Ramchargers as a sponsor after what the group described as a two-decade hiatus. Ramchargers provided trophies and congratulated racers afterward, saying in a social media post that competitors “competed like absolute professionals.”

Darana Dragway also thanked racers, spectators and Ramchargers after the event, calling it “an incredible day of racing” and saying it hopes to see even more schools compete when Battle of the Schools returns in October.

Washtenaw Community College had a strong presence at the track. Andrew Hueter, an instructor of transportation technologies at WCC, said the college has participated in the event for 13 years and that this was his third time attending.

Alex Jordan, an automotive student at WCC, and Jack Grattan, a WCC lab technician with experience in the college’s motorcycle and electric vehicle programs, were also there representing the college’s transportation programs.

Students came from multiple schools and brought different levels of experience. Huron High School students included Jesse, who raced for the first time in a Lincoln Mark VIII, and Deacon, who returned in a red C5 Corvette after racing in October. Marissa, from Allen Park, brought a Cutlass and said she has been racing for three years.

For Kate McMurtrie, a University of Michigan student studying biomolecular science, the event offered a break from finals and a first chance to race. McMurtrie, who lives with diabetes, brought a 2023 Tesla Model Y to the track and joked that she may have made more test-and-tune laps than anyone else. She later finished as the College Bracket 1 runner-up.

In the high school brackets, Chance won High School Bracket 1 and earned best reaction time honors, with a reaction time listed at 0.0248. Luke, from John Glenn High School, finished as the High School Bracket 1 runner-up. Edward, from Ann Arbor Huron, won High School Bracket 2, with Caden, from Wilson Talent Center, listed as runner-up.

In the college divisions, Jesse Tripp of Weber State won College Bracket 1, with McMurtrie finishing as runner-up. Mason Stanish of Washtenaw Community College won College Bracket 2. Ian Klages of Wilson Talent Center won the instructor division.

Wilson Talent Center will have a chance to defend its title when Battle of the Schools returns to Darana Dragway in October.

Featured image: Vehicles line up at Darana Dragway during Battle of the Schools on April 25 in Milan. Wilson Talent Center was named the overall school winner. Photo by Heather Finch