Latest / BREAK/FIX the Motorsports & Vehicle Enthusiast Variety Show / From Sails to Apexes: The Colonial Challenge Cup’s Legacy of Speed, Scholarship, and Service

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From Sails to Apexes: The Colonial Challenge Cup’s Legacy of Speed, Scholarship, and Service · BREAK/FIX the Motorsports & Vehicle Enthusiast Variety Show

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Break Fix podcast is all about capturing the living history of people from all
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over the autos sphere, from wrench, turners, and racers to artists, authors,
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designers, and everything in between.
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Our goal is to inspire a new generation of Petrolhead that wonder.
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How did they get that job or become that person?
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The road to success is paved by all of us because everyone has a story.
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28 years of supporting education, the Colonial Challenge Cup.
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Also known as the C. C. C has been raising funds for education by
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holding an annual sailing regatta on the Chesapeake Bay since 1986.
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Fast forward to 2006 and a track day was added to the CCC calendar.
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Obviously this is the polar opposite to the regal sport of sailing.
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What it has done is provide motoring, enthusiasts and sailors a chance to
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experience the fun and exhilaration of learning how to drive their everyday
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car in a controlled environment on some of the best road courses, and with us
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tonight to tell us about the nearly three decade long tradition of the
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Colonial Challenge Cup is Leslie Pruitt, director of Marketing and Logistics,
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as well as Crispin Etherington, who, as Leslie puts it, is the mastermind of the
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CC, c and co-founder of the Annapolis.
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Scholarship trust.
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So we welcome them both to break fix.
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And joining me tonight is my co-host Mountain Man.
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Dan, let's get into it.
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What is the origin of the Colonial Challenge Cup?
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Tell me about the who, the why, the when, and the where of, how it all got started.
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As you just mentioned, Eric, many, many years ago, we did the sail regatta
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on the Chesapeake Bay, where we went down and essentially messed around on
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very old sailboats for a long weekend.
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On the back of that, being in the property development business, we
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saw an opportunity to potentially raise money for a non-profit.
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We had a number of boats.
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We would sail around for the weekend and we potentially persuaded some
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of the participants to throw a few shackles towards a nonprofit, which at
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that time was the Boys and Girls Clubs of Annapolis and Anne Arundel County.
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The money that we contributed helped the kids study in college,
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trade School University after they graduated from high school.
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And the boys and girls clubs certainly provided a wonderful
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service and continue to do so.
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For the kids during elementary, middle, and high school.
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But once they graduated, they were pretty much on their own.
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And we did did this for a number of years, and then we found that the money
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went into some amorphous pot and we weren't quite sure where the money went.
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So we decided to set up a scholarship trust, specifically being able
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to dictate where the money went.
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So the Colonial Challenge Cup, the CCC provided the funds to support.
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Kids from, at that time, the boys and Girls clubs attend college.
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What happened thereafter?
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Being a bit of an aficionado of the motor sports world and spending a, a small time
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of my career with SCCA racing and having gone through the skit barber school.
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I decided that we ought to expand the CC, C from just
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sailing, but also to a track day.
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And having been up to summit points on many occasions, we decided to try our
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luck at having a track day bringing some of the sailors who love cars plus others.
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Friends to participate in a track day, and what transpired was that we were able
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to raise money for the Annapolis Trust from both the sailing Regatta plus the
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funds that we raised from the track day.
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Kristen, let me ask you this.
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So you mentioned you were part of SECA and things like that, so tell us a
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little bit about your motor sport pass.
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Obviously there's a sailing pass there.
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But what kind of cars were you driving?
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What kind of racing were you doing?
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Oh, was it just for fun?
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Competitive.
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My MO in life has always been to do something, put it on your bucket list
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to maybe move on and do something else.
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I've been a Formula One follower for many, many years, and I'm
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dropping names, but I've been to Monte Carlo a couple of times.
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We did all the races in Indie.
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I've loved motor sports from the early age, and I was introduced
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to racing probably 30 years ago and went up to Summit Point.
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We did some track days, and then I had the opportunity to partake in the
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Skip Barber Open Car racing school.
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I got my SCCA license.
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I did, uh, a few races up at Summit Point.
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What car the first time was in, I, I couldn't even tell you which class
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it was, but it was in a completely, I'll be careful what I say here.
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Basic RX seven, Mazda RX seven, which when you go around corners, the fuel
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slops from one side to the other.
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So it's a motion car.
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When you go to the corner, you know you're gonna slow down, not because of your
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inability to put your foot on the pedal, but because there's fuel starvation.
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Um, and then I remember one time I was going through the S'S at Summit
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points and I was bumped by somebody who clearly was practicing for
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nascar, and I couldn't believe that he would actually try and push me off.
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So I decided I'd progressed to a slightly better class of car where chances of being
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pushed into the woods were minimized.
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So I ended up, I think it was RS.
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I-R-S-I-R-T, I forget now.
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And I raced A-A-B-M-W three 20, which was owned by a friend of mine.
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I enjoyed it.
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Middle of the pack, when you're driving somebody else's car,
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you don't wanna go and wreck it.
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And I felt that I've been there, done that.
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Now let's do something else.
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So I can say that in my bucket list.
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I got my license, raced cars, and at that time decided that we would start
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something where it would provide the opportunity for everybody else who
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aspired to be a racing car driver who had little ability like myself.
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But to go out and drive around a car, around a track.
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And so we started the C, C, C and in 2006, I think was the first time and
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we did it on the up at Summit Point, on the Shenandoah Track, which was a
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lot of concrete and it went from there.
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But that's my background.
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So it's more a want to be, love to be a racing car driver, no ability to
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do so, but enough to actually drive around a track and survive on a few
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occasions and live to tell the town.
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So that was the Genesis 2008.
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The world sort of collapsed with the, the Depression, and shortly
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thereafter, the sailing regata, which was a lot more involved and
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more expensive, we put on hiatus.
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And then a little bit later we did the same with the track day, I think
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about what, four years ago, Leslie, we decided to bring the track day back.
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Since then, we have run it two occasions each year.
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One in spring, one in the fall.
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We are unique.
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We have a very good following.
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We have I think 700 people who at various times have turned up.
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You forgot a big detail here about your Morgan.
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I was gonna ask if he had a proper British car as well.
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I've owned a lot of cars over the year.
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I'm associated with one particular brand called the Morgan, and
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I've owned a couple of Morgans.
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In fact, the first Morgan I bought was a 64 4 4 competition.
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I had it rebuilt in England, brought it to America.
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Then I sold it in 1995 to a delightful chap.
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And then last summer he called me up and said that he was of an age.
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He didn't, he couldn't get into it anymore and would I like to buy it back?
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At that time, my youngest son said he would like to buy it,
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so he then bought the car back, which I had built for me in 1964.
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And so that particular Morgan now sits in our garage.
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We will take it up to the track in April, so the car will be
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taken up, we'll drive around.
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I've always had an affinity to that particular car, uh, Handbuilt three months
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to build the car, and the, the company's been in the family for a hundred years,
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so that's my relationship with cars of a different era and a different type, but
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I've always had that affinity to cars.
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Is that where we start the similarity between sailing and cars?
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Is the wooden frames on the Morgan or is there more to it?
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Sailing was when I lived in New Jersey.
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My neighbors would go down to the Chesapeake Bay and I was working in New
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York and, and of course at that time never wasn't aware of the Chesapeake Bay.
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Baltimore was a tunnel on the way to Washington and they said, why don't you
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come to down sailing for the weekend?
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So we went down to a place called Trap off the Chop Tank River.
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We rented these archaic wooden boats with sails made out of something
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from the early 19th century.
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And we had fun.
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And then I thought, well, maybe we can make something out of it.
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Went back to all my friends, they decided they'd like to come the following
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year, so we had two boats and we decided we need to call it something.
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So we figured since we were in the colonies and we had a few Americans,
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we had a few Brits and, and some Irish people, we decided to call
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it the Colonial Challenge Cup.
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Came up with the name.
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Being in the construction business, we were grateful to accept voluntary,
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um, donations from subcontractors.
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We had some gear and then we got some money and raised the money and
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gave it to the, the Annapolis trust.
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Oh, I meant more than that.
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In that, we talk often on this show about how there's multiple
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disciplines of motorsport out there, and so motorsport is a broad term.
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There's a, an engine to propel something, in a way to pilot it.
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It could be a plane, it could be a boat, it could be a car, it could be
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a motorcycle and so on down the line.
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But we often talk about how the disciplines either overlap.
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Or they bring something to one another.
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So I guess I have to rephrase my question and ask, is there a parallel
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or something that you can bring from sailing into racing cars or are they
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two just totally different animals?
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I have very minimal experience with boating, but one thing I've learned from
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a little bit of experience I do have with boating is you have to think well in
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advance of where you wanna place the boat.
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Because a boat responds much later than like a vehicle would.
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Do you think that helps you anticipate like an upcoming turn on a track?
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Absolutely.
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I mean, I've, I've said to, um, my youngest son, when I taught him
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to drive, I said, don't just look at the person in front of you.
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Look at the person in front of the front of you.
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In other words, don't just look at the person who's driving 13 meters up the
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road or 20 meters up the road from you.
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Look at the, what the person's doing in.
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Front of that person because they're going to influence what the car
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in front of you does, and then you are going to be the recipient of
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whatever that particular action is.
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Always look at the other person.
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In the same respect, sailing is, anticipate the problem, look at the buoy.
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Long before you get to the buoy, keep an eye on the other
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people when you're racing.
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Sailing.
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But anticipate, and that's absolutely true of driving.
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Don't just look at the person in front of you.
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Look at the person who's going to take the corner before the car in front of you.
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Hence, the old expression when you are racing is, don't look
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where you don't want to go.
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Which invariably, if you say that to a student, they immediately
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look where they don't want to go.
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Which begs the question, why did you say it in the first place?
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Anticipate, and that's something that we tell all the students.
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Our chief instructor will sit down before every particular event and spend
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20 minutes explaining about the art of driving and what to do and what not to do.
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From the connection it's going to be sailing use your common sense.
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Survival is key.
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Driving is listen to your instructor, do what they tell you to do.
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Try not to be a cowboy.
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Driving in a straight line is something anybody can do.
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Taking corners is something you can't do and you need to listen
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to somebody who can do it.
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So I think there are probably parallels, but I think one of
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the point I want to make is I think about going to a track day.
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And it's not just the c, c, c Track day teaches you the art of.
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Cornering the art of breaking the art of anticipation in my daily driver, whether
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I'm going teaching or whether I'm driving down to the store to buy something.
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You look at a corner as an apex, you learn how to take that corner.
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You anticipate what's going to happen.
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I'd be the last person to say that I don't have fun driving with somebody behind me.
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Because if you get to the corner and the person was in the wrong
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lane, the wrong side, the wrong speed, he braked incorrectly.
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And in my little Subaru, I left him in the dirt just driving normally,
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because when you go to a track day and certainly a c, c, C track day,
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they teach you how to drive, how to anticipate, how to corner, how to stop.
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It's worth its weight in gold because it helps in your daily driver.
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That's something that we really, really emphasize, that when you
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leave the CCC, we hope that you listen to the advice you're given and
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you become a better driver for it.
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Sage advice.
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So let's talk about the event structure.
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How does the day.
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Or weekend work re regularly.
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Probably have about a hundred to 120 people sign up.
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The cars vary from everything from Ferraris to Volvo Station wagons.
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We have lots of side shows.
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Mix is somewhat unique.
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We plagiarize top gear.
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We have a wonderful barbecue.
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Over the years, we've had every possible sideshow event you could
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think about, go-karting, riding bicycles around the paddock.
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We have a wonderful cause.
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We have fun.
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Everybody gets kit, as we say in England, they get a T-shirt or a hat.
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We give out silly rewards.
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Rewards can be things like, think about another sport off-road experience.
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This year, I haven't even told, uh, Leslie.
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We have a, a broken tennis racket.
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Last year we gave a, a tennis racket mounted on a podium to somebody
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who should consider another.
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Sport other than driving this year, we're going to give that a broken tennis
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racket to the same person saying that obviously that sport didn't work out.
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We call that OSB, other sports Beckon.
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Yes, that's right.
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When, and then we also at the the event where other than the barbecue,
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we have the CCC musicians and we have.
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A wonderful chap who plays the, um, not the flute.
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What do you call it?
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What do you call that thing?
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Leslie?
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Help me here.
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He, he plays the saxophone.
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Saxophone.
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There we are.
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And we have somebody who plays the guitar, and this year we'll probably
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have someone who can sing or try to sing.
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But the whole thing thing, you'll have the full band, right?
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You just get him one piece of guitar.
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Hopefully every year we come up with different ideas and it's.
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For whatever reason, which goes back to sailing, they call me the Commodore.
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So this cry goes out.
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What's Etherington?
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AKA The Commodore going to come up with this year and we'll
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come up with something fun.
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But it, it's unique and it's fun and uh, it's not just people going out
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there enjoying their cars, driving, learning how to drive with professional
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instructors, but also raising money.
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For a good cause.
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We're very appreciative to our supporters and, um, and it's a good cause.
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And, and long may it continue.
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So we should probably talk about the fundraising side of this, the
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scholarship side of the CC, C.
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So let's.
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Switch to Leslie for a moment to address that and tell us about who
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is the scholarship designed for?
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How do people qualify, how does it pay out?
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What types of schools is it applicable to?
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You know, all those kinds of things.
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So why don't you fill us in on those details.
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I will tell you about the fundraising side.
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From a C, C, C perspective, I'm going to hand it back to Crispin because
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I only manage it for, for our event.
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He and the board of directors of the scholarship trust
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actually decide on the schools.
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But I will tell you in general.
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The money that is raised is used for the underserved students in Anne Arundel
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County while they're in high school.
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And actually, I think the programs are now developing for the middle school as
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they're preparing for high school, so that you're actually creating that pathway
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to higher education for the students.
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The scholarships support different types of trainings for them.
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We have mentors for the students so that they, you know, some of the
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students do not have mentors are really, have had backgrounds where
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people understand education can really help them navigate education.
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Are career development, are career choices.
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So our mentors help the students in that decision making and setting the
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career goals once they are in college.
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Then we have mentors who also continue and work with them through college because
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while we think that it's okay, once you get to college, you're doing great, but
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that's actually when you probably need the most mentorship and guidance and
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direction for your career development.
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So the money is, is used to send kids to college.
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We have.
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Sent, I think over 70 kids over the past 20 years to college, raised over
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$340,000 with all the combined efforts.
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One of the things though, we, we talk a lot about the c,
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c, the track time, et cetera.
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I go in every time when we have our class at each event and say, wait a second
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guys, just so you know, we know that.
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You are here to get on the track, but the real purpose behind this event is
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really to fundraise and really help those who really probably haven't had
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the opportunities you have had, and you're helping us support them and
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helping them get the education and the training so that they can really launch
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meaningful, long-term, successful careers.
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So we really are focusing on that, and I think.
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The outcome is to really inform your listeners about what we're doing.
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'cause it is really exciting, it's really unique, but the bottom line of what
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we're doing is really helping those who really wouldn't have the opportunity.
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That's what I really wanna stress more than anything.
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And.
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We'll be giving you our website so that you can hit that Donate Now button
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because $10, $20, $50, a hundred, a thousand, every little bit counts
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to help send these kids to school.
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And the more money we raise, the more kids we can support.
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We do have a lot of.
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Programs that the trust is working on and that I will give back to Crispin because
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he's on the board and he works closely with Reggie Brody, who is the CEO and
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has been very ambitious in developing the programs to really help give the
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skills, the background to really start moving forward with higher education.
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So Chrisman, if you can talk about some of the programming that you are
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doing, I think that would be beneficial.
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Yeah, Reggie's background was, I think I mentioned before, he was
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Chief Professional Officer of the Boys and Girls Clubs in Anne Ronald
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County in Maryland, 25 years.
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The programs, the trust support, since we started it in 2020, have included
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first in family, kids going to college.
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We have, I think a 75, 80% graduation rate, which is way more than, than is
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typical for this particular group of kids.
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Come from a challenge background.
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What we call them in workforce development is called Opportunity Youth.
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Those kids who wouldn't normally have the opportunity to go to college and learn
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right in very simple English, they come from families where the parents may not
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have been to college, and these are the first generation kids who go to college.
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They come from families that haven't got the money to
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support them to go to college.
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What we do is provide them with a scholarship in association with a PEG
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grant that enables them to go to college.
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If it wasn't for us, they probably wouldn't be able to do that.
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As well as going to college as, as Leslie mentioned, we provide them with a mentor.
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A lot of kids, they're very smart, they get a grant, they go to college, and
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they can't handle it because it's the first time they've been away from home.
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Our kids, I think in the large part, survive because we give them a mentor.
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They've got someone they can go and call up.
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That's one thing that we do.
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Another thing that we're doing now is we are providing opportunities
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for kids to participate in programs and one program we do with.
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The Osgood Center in Washington is the UN program where kids can
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go on and discuss hypothetical situations with the United Nations.
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It's a program that we've been sending kids now for, I think for three years.
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For 15 years, we've been sending kids to Scotland to summer camp
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at the Gordons Stone International Summer School, where they spend three
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weeks in Scotland and they learn everything from computer science to
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repelling, to sports, to sailing.
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Anything you can think about.
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And they meet from kids all over the world and they have, uh,
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developed everlasting friendships.
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And these are kids in some cases, they've never been on a plane before.
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And we fly them to London and they go from London up to a place
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called Aberdeen in Scotland, and they spend three weeks there.
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We've recently started a program now based upon the Fox TB program, Lego Masters.
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We have a virtual program now for kids from six to, I think 12 years old, where
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they go online and they participate in a six week course making things out of Lego.
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It teaches the kids to work together to combine their talents, and it's run
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by the trust in association with Lego International, and we give them all Lego.
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Kits and it's been wonderful and we've done three seasons.
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We're starting the four season this year and we've now got kids from
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all over the east coast signing up.
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We've got school systems who want to send their kids to this program.
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'cause it's not just making something out of Lego, it's teaching these
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kids to work with each other and given these challenging times.
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It's a wonderful way of breaking that monotony of online learning.
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We're no longer just supporting first in family kids to go to college.
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We're now helping kids from middle school, from elementary school kids study abroad
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and association with another company.
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We are now going to work on student exchange programs.
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We're helping kids who go to HBCUs.
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Study abroad.
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So it's expanded a long way from our initial program.
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It's not all dependent upon the CC, C, but the C.
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C. C has been, I would say, inspirational in bringing to the
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attention of a far wider audience, not the need but the opportunity.
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To provide kids who don't have the ability financially, or maybe from
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the stability of a background to actually take advantage of their innate
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skills that they can do, they can achieve something in a very small way.
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The CCC has helped not just fund some of these programs, but also
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bring to light the opportunities from kids from all walks of life.
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But certainly the focus has been on perhaps as, as Leslie would say,
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those who don't have the advantage.
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That mainstream kids have, we're not sort of sponsoring
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them to do everything for them.
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The whole goal is that we're giving you a, a leg up, but it's up to you to succeed.
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We're not guaranteeing anything.
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We're not writing a check so that you are going to be successful.
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We're pushing you out of the door.
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We're giving you the opportunity.
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Once you're outta the door, it's up to you to succeed.
22:30
What I would add there, it's the foundation, it's the soft skills.
22:34
It's some of the hard skills, but I mean really going back the soft
22:38
skills, because teamwork in the workplace is because employers
22:43
today are looking for those soft.
22:45
And they would rather hire someone with strong, soft skills than
22:49
someone with strong, hard skills.
22:51
So that's been the benefit of what a lot of these programs have added to
22:57
the, uh, scholarship trust and the kids that we support, because we're really
23:01
helping give them that foundation to really advance in their lives.
23:05
Because a lot of times they don't have that, necessarily, that
23:09
mentorship at home to understand.
23:12
What the workplace expectations are with these types of trainings.
23:17
They're able to go through school, middle and high school, and then go
23:22
into college with the basic skillset of what the real world will be
23:26
when they get enter the workplace.
23:28
Real quick question with.
23:30
The scholarship itself.
23:32
I noticed you guys were mentioning some STEM sort of related stuff
23:35
with the Legos and things like that.
23:37
Yep.
23:37
Do you guys have your scholarships set up in a direction towards a
23:41
certain sort of goal of college, or is it wide open to where the
23:45
children can determine their path of what fits them and choose something?
23:50
Or are you kind of trying to aim for a certain goal for them?
23:53
I would say no, they, it's entirely up to them and they hear about the trust.
23:57
Through friend family alumni or the school, and they will make the application
24:02
and they have to hit certain levels.
24:05
They have to have a 2.5 GPA.
24:07
They have to commit to a maybe two year trade school, but four year university.
24:11
They have to provide updates on what they're achieving or what they're
24:15
doing during that particular course.
24:17
What degree course they decide to take is entirely up to them.
24:20
We don't prescribe that.
24:21
The education Committee will determine, and I will emphasize that it's not
24:25
me, it's Reggie Brody, who is the CEO, who we think will demonstrate the
24:30
determination and ability to actually succeed at what they aspire to do.
24:36
Probably the one of the reasons for the success is that you pick the right kids.
24:40
You don't just pick somebody who thinks so I can get a free
24:43
scholarship and do something for three or four months, or whatever.
24:47
In other words, the secret is.
24:48
Finding the student who has that determination to succeed, and it's less
24:52
about what they're going to do at college, which course they're going to take.
24:56
It reminds me quite a bit of a program that was around when Dan
25:00
and I were coming up through school.
25:02
Marilyn used to have something known as The Hope Scholarship.
25:04
I don't know if it exists anymore, but I've heard of it.
25:06
I'm not familiar with it.
25:07
Yeah, the way you outlined it is very, very similar and so that's quite good.
25:10
It's quite unique as well, so that's great to have that flexibility.
25:13
I'm really glad you guys also lean towards not just college.
25:16
Mentioned like trade school is an option as well.
25:19
A lot of different tuition assistance, well as scholarships are only for
25:24
your four year degrees for trade school type stuff or even colleges.
25:28
Do you guys have any sort of relationships with any out there right
25:31
now to help the students from being in the property development business?
25:34
We obviously have contacts with contractors and I know a lot of
25:37
subcontractors and then there is a a given demand, which we all
25:41
know from reading newspapers.
25:43
There's a shortage for the trades.
25:45
The challenge is that when you go to high schools and you talk to kids about the
25:52
trades, it's perceived to be blue collar.
25:55
It's perceived to be, why do I want to go and be a carpenter?
25:58
I'd rather be a techie.
25:59
There's a program I was a director of for a while called the ACE Mentoring Program.
26:03
Which is a national program where they go into schools and
26:07
teach kids about the professions.
26:09
I remember talking to some of the kids in a particular high school in
26:12
Anne Arundel County and saying to these kids, have you thought about
26:15
becoming a plumber or an electrician?
26:17
And all you could see was this.
26:19
Why would I want to do that?
26:21
So I posed to them, how many of you know an out work plumber?
26:25
How many of you know an out work electrician?
26:29
And I did this the other day in my elementary school and one
26:31
of the kids put his hand up and said, my dad's an electrician.
26:35
And he's always busy.
26:37
These were 9-year-old, 10 year olds.
26:39
Listen to this particular kid.
26:41
His dad runs an elec electrical construction subcontracting company.
26:46
When you grow up, think about being an electrician.
26:49
If you don't want to go to college, you don't wanna be a techie.
26:52
So think about being a plumber.
26:53
Think about being a carpenter.
26:54
Think about being an electrician.
26:55
It's a wonderful business to do.
26:57
Just have to add mechanic to your list of trades.
27:00
That's all.
27:00
Yeah, we can do that.
27:01
Yeah, I mean, you can be whatever.
27:02
I haven't thought about mechanic I've, I've usually focused on, because of
27:04
being in the construction business.
27:06
Sort of carpenters, electricians, and plumbers, mainly because if
27:10
you need one, you pay a fortune getting one to the house.
27:12
But all of those trades need that vehicle to get to said jobs.
27:15
Uh, that is very true.
27:16
That is very true.
27:18
Like for your guys donations, 'cause I'm assuming it's majority all
27:21
donations that support scholarship.
27:23
And if so, what sort of like goals do you guys have for annual donations into it?
27:26
Most of my emphasis is on the event.
27:29
We have never really set a goal as far as.
27:32
Okay, we have to make $20,000.
27:35
It really has been dependent on each event and within the past couple of years.
27:41
What I have observed is that as we really are starting to say,
27:46
yes, you're getting on the track.
27:48
But really this is a fundraiser and really making the drivers aware that,
27:53
you know, this is a privileged sport and what we're really trying to do
27:57
is raise money for people, for the students who really don't have such
28:01
opportunity, but we're launching.
28:04
Potentially the opportunity for them to come join us and be
28:09
able to enjoy this type of life.
28:11
As we increase the awareness, we are going to be able to increase the fundraising.
28:17
I think that what we've seen as reignited the track day program since
28:21
2017, as we push the thought of, yes, you're getting on the track.
28:26
But you're really helping us raise money for this targeted population of students.
28:31
That's why we're emphasizing what you're doing is, yeah, you're getting on the
28:35
track and we're giving them the hook.
28:37
'cause some of the folks at our beginner class last summer, definitely were hooked.
28:41
They're now going to all sorts of different track days and they definitely
28:45
will be on in our advanced class.
28:47
So that's why we are very upfront when we have our classes, when we
28:52
get the group together at our award ceremony, we're really emphasizing
28:56
this is a fundraising event.
28:58
And one of the things that we haven't said yet tonight, and Crispin can probably
29:03
give you more examples, but I always love the story of one of the students
29:07
that we supported through this program who now is going off and getting a PhD.
29:13
I mean, this is someone who never thought that they would ever get
29:16
their education and they're getting a PhD, but then they're going to
29:19
be doing research and really adding to the community of knowledge.
29:24
So it's pretty remarkable of what the power of the program.
29:28
You're taking people who are creative, but they never knew that they could.
29:33
Be a graphic designer and work in a biotech company as a graphic designer,
29:39
but it's just being able to give them the opportunity to see what's out
29:44
there as career options and being able to support them without any judgment.
29:49
All with a very caring, understanding, nurturing environment
29:54
to really make sure they succeed.
29:56
And so we don't necessarily have the goals yet, and that's really
30:00
because we continue to build that momentum of understanding that we're
30:05
having fun, but let's also give back.
30:08
Although there may be no direct link between motor sports and these kids
30:13
going to college, there is a link from the standpoint that we provide them with
30:17
financial incentive and there is a link from the standpoint that they know that
30:22
there are people who are watching them, uh, interested in what they're doing.
30:28
We try and give each of the sponsors a kid so that rather than money just going into
30:33
some amorphous pot, Adam Smith knows that X, Y, Z is the company that's providing
30:39
him with the money to go to college and you better write a letter to Mr.
30:42
X, Y, Z and tell him what you're doing.
30:44
So, although they may not be car guys.
30:46
They know that money's coming from somewhere.
30:48
And again, we have Reggie Brody, who is the CEO, who is the, the glue in,
30:54
in the trust, that he's the connector between raising the money, the kids, what
30:59
they're doing, and the successes and, and recounting to the kids what they do.
31:04
And again, if you go to the Annapolis Trust website, you can.
31:06
The C, CC is one of the supporters and, and, and so on and so forth.
31:11
So there's a, a direct connection from a monetary standpoint,
31:15
inspirational mentoring.
31:17
I'd be misleading UFOs to say that all the kids who receive funding
31:22
from the CCC are, uh, motorheads.
31:25
They're not.
31:26
But we're not expecting them to be.
31:28
One thing that you've mentioned quite a bit through this is the mentors
31:31
that's drawn me in a lot because I've been fortunate in my life to have some
31:35
mentors in my life to guide me in the right direction, and I think that is
31:39
a huge thing to help out people that are younger and not sure where to what
31:43
they're doing and things like that.
31:44
So with y'all's mentor program, is it all people who are members
31:48
of the CCC that are the mentors?
31:50
Or do you guys have No, no.
31:52
Reggie takes.
31:53
Care of this.
31:54
Every student gets a mentor, and the mentors are all managed by the trust
31:58
and they include former teachers, people in from education, they
32:03
include people from social work, they can be professional people.
32:06
They're all people that have a passion towards helping that particular.
32:10
Child, student succeed.
32:12
So what we found over the 20 years is that you've got students to go to
32:17
college and they're not happy because they haven't been away from home.
32:20
They may come from a one parent family and they don't want to ring up their
32:23
mom or their dad and say, look, I'm not very happy, because all of a
32:26
sudden it's as though they're letting the side down, but they can feel
32:29
comfortable ringing up the mentor.
32:31
Saying, listen, I'm struggling from such and such, and what we do,
32:36
we send a format to every single student at the end of the semester.
32:40
One of the questions is, what are the challenges you've had?
32:43
And that form has to come back before they get funded.
32:45
I don't see all the forms, but Reggie reviews everything.
32:49
But the forms that I've seen, the majority.
32:52
The struggles are oddly enough, living with other students in their
32:56
particular room or their facility.
32:59
The distractions of trying to study and work with somebody else, stress comes up.
33:05
Mental stress, which is something you may or may not be aware of, which I
33:09
am more aware of now as a teacher, and also because we're involved
33:13
in other businesses, mental stress is a massive impact on students.
33:17
I certainly being in the business world was unaware of in the past it's been
33:21
brushed under the carpet, but now far more and more people are aware of it and
33:25
it's something that has to be dealt with.
33:27
And certainly the mentors that we have in the trust are aware of
33:31
mental stress and they are qualified to deal with it or certainly to
33:35
help the student deal with it.
33:37
It is interesting being on the outside, looking in, looking at some
33:41
of the papers that are submitted.
33:42
So mentors, it's, it's a really important part.
33:46
Of supporting any kid going to college.
33:49
And that doesn't matter whether they are first in family or whether they
33:51
come from well established, middle of the road, normal, you know, whatever
33:57
family with all ticks, all the boxes, they can still have problems.
34:01
No one is immune from this particular challenge that we face.
34:06
And we live in a society that has a lot more problems than maybe
34:09
a hundred years ago, but they need someone they can talk to.
34:12
And so that's something unique about the trust that every single kid.
34:15
Has somebody, they can ring up and say, Mr.
34:18
Etherington, Mr. Brody, Ms. Pruitt, Ms. Whoever it is, I have a problem and I
34:23
can't speak to my mom, can't speak to my dad because they won't understand, but
34:27
can you help me do something, Kristen?
34:28
Let me add.
34:29
It's not just that we're doing it at the beginning of a college,
34:32
but we follow them through college because all the way through.
34:35
It's all the way through, and even if they need it, once they've launched
34:39
into a career, so they basically have the sup, a support system to
34:43
really help them to gain success.
34:46
I'm sure having that definitely builds confidence in them, and that's a huge
34:49
thing that at that age, our youth need that confidence because it all
34:54
it can take is lack of confidence for a kid to drop outta school.
34:57
That simple little bit of support of a mentor being there I think is tremendous
35:01
by the rate you guys said you guys.
35:02
Graduation rate is very high compared to many out there.
35:06
We urge you to go to the Annapolis Trust website and you can see some of the stats
35:09
and see what we're doing, and you can get a profile of Reggie and the programs.
35:13
A lot of it's got, it's got nothing to do with the CC, C
35:16
track day, nothing whatsoever.
35:18
Some of the kids have no idea how they're getting funded, and we don't
35:22
necessarily expect them to know that.
35:25
We do expect them to know that somebody's helping them, but it's incumbent upon.
35:29
Asked to tell them that somebody's helping you.
35:32
And it's not just some amorphous pot, it's a company or a real person and
35:37
right to that person because they have a vested interest in your success.
35:41
And one of the things we're trying to do down the road is that we get
35:44
sponsors that provide those students with opportunities to go and work for them.
35:48
I could digress into a different world completely, but internships are
35:52
really important and my own company is something that we're promoting that.
35:55
Internships really are the modern day version of interviews.
36:00
If you can get someone to work for you for a while, you can sous them out
36:04
and they can sous you out, and if it works, then you get a full-time job.
36:07
The beauty and the magic of radio and now podcasts is that you never know
36:13
who's ears your message is going to.
36:15
For those that know about the CCC, they're well aware of what's going on, but it's
36:21
the folks that are now listening to this episode going, how do I get involved?
36:25
How do I sign up?
36:26
Let's talk about those technical details, and I know that's Leslie's area of
36:30
expertise, so let's jump right into that.
36:32
Start out.
36:33
How would you sign up for an event with the C ccc?
36:35
If someone's interested in supporting the Colonial Challenge Cup, you would
36:39
go to www dot Colonial Challenge Cup.
36:42
Dot org and there will be a link on the website.
36:46
You'll see track day.
36:47
It'll take you to the page and there will be a register link and that
36:51
will take you to Motorsport Reg.
36:53
The registrant will fill it out and come in and join us.
36:58
So that always begs the question, what does it cost?
37:01
It's $299.
37:03
Our first event this year is April 14th, Thursday, April 14th, and
37:07
then we're going to have one in probably June, July for beginners.
37:11
And that is specifically for people who have never driven a car.
37:15
A track.
37:16
Uh, we've had people who when they applied to, to do this, uh, they put
37:20
down their experience as including things like backing outta the garage
37:25
or parking the car, or near miss.
37:28
Last year was the first time we did this.
37:29
We had about 17 or 18 drivers.
37:32
All sorts of people, all walks of life, everything from Ferraris to
37:36
Jags and a couple of, um, hybrid cars.
37:40
And they had a wonderful time.
37:41
So we're going to do that again this year.
37:43
We added the, uh, summer or July, June, July event to be for, just for beginners.
37:50
And, and the reason being is.
37:52
What we've noticed too, especially some of, some of our events piggyback
37:57
other weekend events and for the more experienced drivers, so they
38:02
use our event as their warmup event.
38:05
Our levels have gotten a little more advanced.
38:08
The people who were advanced now are kind of a little intimidated, so
38:12
they're going back to the intermediate.
38:14
And so the beginners, you know, it, it's actually more intermediate.
38:18
So really what we found that we needed to have an event for the true beginner,
38:24
the person who has not gotten on the track before, or maybe one time, they're
38:29
starting from the absolute basics.
38:32
And last year was our first year, last July, and I have to say, everyone
38:36
walked away feeling so invigorated and really gaining so much experience
38:41
and having been on the track as many times as I have doing this event.
38:45
I learned so much and I walked away and I felt like, wow, this was truly
38:50
meant for the beginner, and you really gained a lot of knowledge.
38:54
I will tell you, it gave me more confidence.
38:57
And then in the fall, the fall event is on September 1st at Summit Point.
39:01
And again, it's $299.
39:03
That's a one day event, correct.
39:05
It's a one day event.
39:06
Registration starts at 8:00 AM and the event runs through four 30.
39:10
And then we have our award ceremony.
39:13
Which you have already heard from Crispin how entertaining it is really in truth.
39:17
So many people stay just for the awards ceremony because it's, it's entertaining.
39:23
It's everyone wants to know what are the awards, because not only are the awards.
39:28
Unique as far as what they say, as far as, this isn't really your sport.
39:33
They're really clever.
39:34
Our team really puts a lot of thought and creativity into what the awards are.
39:40
I have to hand it to Crispin.
39:42
He definitely comes up with some really interesting awards.
39:45
But then we have, we have, we have one.
39:47
Year we had for somebody who probably showed no talent at all to drive, when
39:51
we gave them the Rookie Bobby Award, which was a, uh, a cardboard cutout of
39:55
Will Ferrell, along with a rookie Bobby uniform, which we insisted that they wear.
40:00
It's rather like people like to be in insulted.
40:03
They like to.
40:04
Be told that they're completely hopeless and that they shouldn't
40:07
drive a car, and then they take great pride in receiving that award.
40:10
But again, it's part of the fun of the event, which again, there
40:14
is a very serious part, which is driving, and we take the driving very
40:18
seriously, and you have to drive and you have to comply with the rules.
40:21
And you can hurt yourself if you don't do that.
40:24
But the other part is the fun part that makes it unique.
40:27
And there's nothing like.
40:28
The CCC Track Summit Point have lots and lots of events, but they love
40:32
what we do because it's so different.
40:35
It's like Monty Python.
40:37
It's just different.
40:38
It's just nuts.
40:39
It is.
40:40
I mean, it has that reputation and people really do hear, oh, I heard about the CCC.
40:44
What do you guys do?
40:46
Well, it is serious.
40:47
It is a lot of fun.
40:48
It's a sort of all in one.
40:50
It's just a unique event that you go home with a smile on your face.
40:55
You don't wanna miss it.
40:56
I'll tell you, it's, and people come back and they're nuts.
40:59
I've gotta go back.
40:59
I've gotta go it again and I've gotta come back.
41:02
What they, what are they gonna do this year?
41:04
What are they gonna come up with?
41:05
And the challenge that we face.
41:07
And we'll sit down as a team, what are we gonna be doing that's different?
41:10
What can we do?
41:11
That con continues the fun aspect.
41:14
And even now, I haven't even told Leslie, we had somebody say they
41:18
want to bring a cigar shop there.
41:20
Can we sell cigars?
41:21
And I got the green light.
41:22
Yeah.
41:23
So we're going have somebody who's going to be selling cigars.
41:27
Part of the money they sell will go as a donation to the trust.
41:30
Now you could argue, well, you shouldn't be selling cigars
41:33
and smoking going to kids.
41:34
Listen, don't stand on your high horse.
41:36
It's money.
41:37
People are gonna have the ability to do whatever they want to do.
41:40
They're driving cars with gas.
41:42
I mean pollution, the environment.
41:44
Have fun.
41:45
Enjoy yourself.
41:46
I'm assuming all your events is any typical streetcar could
41:48
come out to the track, what sort of tech type stuff you guys do.
41:51
And then for like the beginner event, what is your limits on what is the
41:53
youngest driver that's allowed to be out there, and what are your requirements
41:56
for an individual to be on track?
41:58
Anyone can get on the track as long as they have a driver's license.
42:02
So that's the first thing.
42:03
As far as all types of cars can come on the track, the only restriction
42:09
would be if it is a convertible, it does need the roll bar.
42:12
So it's all about safety and that's one of the requirements I
42:15
believe from Summit Point, that you do need to have the roll bar.
42:19
As far as the tech requirements, uh, they have to comply with, um,
42:23
the Summit Point Tech requirements.
42:24
Which are based upon the Friday at the track, the FATT track requirements
42:30
from a, um, security and safety point of view, whatever they are, that we
42:34
comply with the same requirements.
42:35
And you can find those on the Summit Point website.
42:39
And you can also find them on the Motorsport Reg website,
42:43
which is where you will apply to participate in a CCC track date.
42:48
So are the run groups limited in size?
42:50
Leslie, do you have a cap on the number of drivers that can participate in the event?
42:54
The maximum is 30 people per run group, and that actually
42:58
is a pretty full run group.
43:00
Generally we try to keep it to about 25 because it does get
43:04
a little full on the track.
43:05
How do you guys break down your run groups?
43:07
They tell us what their driving experience is and then actually
43:10
Crispin reviews the driving experience if they have been a driver with us.
43:15
We will look at which run group they were in in the previous event.
43:19
Sometimes people like to advance themselves.
43:22
They are not allowed to advance themselves because we have to
43:24
have a sign off by an instructor.
43:26
So whatever they were at in the event before, we will keep them in that and
43:31
then they will be assessed at the track.
43:34
And if the instructor feels that they can be advanced to the next group, then
43:38
they can move up to the next group.
43:40
That implies that there are solo drivers as well.
43:43
Is that correct?
43:43
Absolutely.
43:44
Mm-hmm.
43:45
We base our track regulations on Friday at the track.
43:48
These are the ones put together by Summit Point.
43:51
As Leslie said, when you apply for participation, you will put in there what
43:55
run group you were in the previous time.
43:58
If you have been signed off to move to the next run group, then you can move from
44:03
intermediate to advanced or conversely, from the beginner's group to intermediate
44:08
to move to the advanced group.
44:10
Which means solo, you have to be approved by our chief instructor.
44:15
So we are very careful about making sure that the driver is in the run
44:20
group of their capability because as Leslie said, sometimes drivers feel
44:26
that their capability is probably slightly more than uh, their experience.
44:32
Which is human nature.
44:33
We all think we're slightly better than we actually are, and in some case you
44:37
then we have had experience where we have drivers coming along saying, can I please
44:42
go down from advance to intermediate?
44:46
I thought I was a little bit better than I actually am.
44:48
So the we is very important in that statement, and usually those
44:51
determinations are also made by the coaches that are present at these events.
44:55
So let's talk about how you become a coach for the CCC event.
44:59
Do you guys accept or is there reciprocity from other groups for
45:03
coaches to come and participate in this?
45:06
To become an instructor for the CCC Track day, you have to have
45:10
been approved by some other body that runs Motorsport events such
45:15
as BSR in the case of Summit Point.
45:17
So you have to demonstrate that you are a member of BSR or you've been
45:21
approved as an instructor from PCA.
45:24
Or some other motor sports organization to be a instructor at the CCC, you have
45:30
to be accredited by another organization.
45:32
That makes perfectly good sense.
45:33
So generally it's a one-to-one relationship between the
45:36
students and the coaches.
45:37
How many coaches are you guys looking to wrestle up every year?
45:41
Try and, uh, bring in about what, 25 to 30 and stuff.
45:45
25 to 30?
45:46
Mm-hmm.
45:46
And it's mostly for the be begin.
45:48
Obviously it's for the beginners group and for the intermediate group because
45:53
if someone is in the intermediate group and they have not been signed off as
45:57
a solo driver 'cause they can be an intermediate and a but solo driver, we
46:02
still need to have enough instructors.
46:05
Leslie and Kristen, I'm actually super excited about this.
46:08
I know there's folks in our organization that participate in the uh, colonial
46:12
Challenge Cup every year and you know, we've heard about it and now you know, we
46:15
get to share this story with other folks.
46:17
So it kind of begs the question 30 years in the making, what
46:21
does the next 25 look like?
46:23
Well, that is going to be the mastermind, Crispin Etherington to come up with
46:28
that because he has been so wonderful in creating the first 30 years.
46:33
So we are waiting for the Mastermind.
46:35
I see the gears working Crispin.
46:37
The sailing regata will probably reconvene this year.
46:40
It's been tough with COVID.
46:41
I would say in 25 years time, it would be nice to think that the event is still
46:48
running in the wildest expectations.
46:51
It would be an event that would be run on more than one track, possibly half
46:57
a dozen tracks around the country.
46:58
I would like to think that we have some more significant major
47:03
sponsors that we're able to contribute more money to the trust.
47:08
It would be nice to think that maybe we could, in our own vein,
47:12
participant in some major events.
47:15
One that we touched upon the pre COVID was the One Map of America event where
47:21
we were, this is the trust we were on the, the recipients of one of the.
47:25
Uh, the cars that participated in one lap of America, it would be nice to
47:29
think that we have some more events where we have that national recognition.
47:33
I think that's the goal.
47:34
I would say also Crispin, just adding in, because we always talk about the
47:38
students, the young adults that we have helped, but if we really think about it
47:43
from a community perspective, it's not.
47:46
The students, but we've really helped the families and really had an impact on the
47:50
communities because as they gain skill, it really affects their communities.
47:55
'cause they go back to their communities and help give back and implement change.
48:01
So it's a domino effect of what we've created.
48:04
Really.
48:05
In truth, if you look at the impact on the lives that we've helped,
48:09
it's not just the young adults, it's really their families and.
48:12
Communities in the future.
48:14
And I think another thing to look at for the next 25 years is not only
48:18
from the event side, but is really being able to impact more, uh,
48:23
young people throughout the country and even more broader globally.
48:27
So really be able to grow the event.
48:30
As we kind of wrap up this thought, that's actually a great segue into
48:34
are there any shout outs or promotions or people you'd like to thank while
48:37
you still have the microphone?
48:39
Memorable events, the fact that we are still here, that we've survived the
48:44
trials and tribulations of economies.
48:47
Of depressions of various other economic cycles and the pandemic that we have
48:54
managed to help the lives of many people, many students, and I think the fact that
49:00
we should not belittle the success of the team, that we have a great team,
49:05
and that we've stopped together, it wouldn't operate without Les Leslie.
49:09
Is the mainstay behind it.
49:11
She's the one that's sort of the glue that keeps it going.
49:13
I tend to come up with some of the ideas.
49:15
We've got a wonderful group of people who help.
49:18
It's a lot of work involved.
49:19
It's a fun event.
49:20
But like all of these events, a lot of work goes into it behind the scenes.
49:25
Absolutely.
49:26
And if it wasn't for the dedicated support and sense of humor of all my colleagues,
49:31
there wouldn't be a CCC track day.
49:34
I think we have to thank certainly Summit Point for their support.
49:38
We have to particular, we have to thank Kathleen and Edwin who run
49:43
Summit Point, Motorsports Park.
49:45
Without them a, we wouldn't be able to probably do some of the things
49:50
and that we do, and I think we have to thank all the people who turn up.
49:55
Because all good fun.
49:57
It's a great cause, but they're fun.
49:59
They make it, they make the event.
50:01
The fact that you can stand there and look at 120 cars, drivers with families
50:08
hangers on want to be racing car drivers.
50:12
It's a family event.
50:14
I think that's the thank you that we have really.
50:17
And our sponsors, sponsors, sponsors obviously who have put
50:20
money up and supported us over the years, whether it's the track day
50:24
or whether it's the San Regata.
50:26
Without them, we wouldn't be able to contribute the
50:29
money we have over the years.
50:30
To the trust and support the kids.
50:33
Finally, my thing is thank you to all our recipients.
50:36
Thank you to the students for proving that you can live up to the aspirations that we
50:43
have for you and you have for yourselves, and you've got a story to tell.
50:47
Uh, we could line them all up and they could say, well, but for
50:51
you, we couldn't do the following.
50:53
And we have letters to support that.
50:55
Thank you to all the students.
50:57
We've supported over 30 years who have gone on to do really good stuff,
51:04
whether it's helping yourselves, other people, your family, we're proud of you.
51:08
You've done a great job.
51:09
Thank you.
51:10
And at this point with your listeners, we really do hope that if you, if
51:14
you have any listeners out there who haven't been participated in the
51:19
Colonial Challenge Cup, but really like what we've talked about and
51:23
really wanna support the event, not.
51:25
Just make a donation, but really support the event and become a long-term sponsor.
51:30
Please reach out to Crispin or myself through our website and we will be
51:35
more than happy to talk with them.
51:37
Well listeners, this is a first mountain man, Dan.
51:40
It's actually gonna take us home.
51:42
Colonial Challenge Cup Incorporated is a charity dedicated towards
51:45
raising funds for educational opportunities for young men and women.
51:49
For more information on the Colonial Challenge Cup and how you might qualify
51:52
for the scholarship or participate in this wonderful event, be sure to
51:55
check out www.colonialchallengecup.org.
51:59
We follow them on social at Colonial Challenge on Facebook.
52:03
For more information on the event, you can also go to the Annapolis trust.org and
52:08
the trust is the beneficiary of the funds that are raised from the CCC Track day.
52:14
But I do urge you, again, if you go to YouTube and you put down Colonial
52:17
Challenge Cup Summit Point Track.
52:19
You can find a wonderful two minute video on what we do and some of
52:22
the crazy things we get up to.
52:24
Leslie and Kristen, I cannot thank you enough for coming on the show and
52:27
educating us on this awesome opportunity for people to give back to the community
52:31
and support others that are trying to make their way and maybe become future
52:37
petrol heads and will join us at the track someday in the near future.
52:40
So thank you again for coming on Break Fix and telling your story.
52:43
We look forward to seeing you in the seasons to come.
52:46
Much.
52:46
Thank you very much, inviting us.
52:47
God bless.
52:48
Cheers.
52:49
Take care.
52:54
If you like what you've heard and want to learn more about gtm, be sure to
52:57
check us out on www.gt motorsports.org.
53:01
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53:05
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53:09
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53:17
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53:19
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53:21
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53:24
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