St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School students unveiled their new stock car and racing team at the school just hours before heading off for the Laird International Speedway near Sault Ste. Marie on June 16, 2005. The 1984 Plymouth Reliant stock car was virtually rebuilt by the Grade 12 Technology class at St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School. Teacher Steve Bailey and the students dedicated hundreds of hours in time and labour to get the car in top racing condition.

The Technology Class stripped out the car’s interior, built a roll cage, battery box, bumper covers, firewall, fuel tank rack, hood pins, floor repairs, body work, and installed a seat and a safety harness. Drea Centis, a professional painter and Bruno Timpano, an auto detailer completed the finishing touches on the car to get it ready for race day.

The racing team consisting of drivers Steve Villeneuve and Bruno Timpano and team manager and whip, Steve Bailey, Transportation Technology Teacher at St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School left to compete in the Laird International Speedway immediately after the car was unveiled to the school community.

The desire to work on a stock car came from the Grade 12 students. “We thought the idea of rebuilding and racing a stock car was a pretty cool idea,” stated Mr. Bailey. “Not only was it a fun and exciting project to work on but it also involved doing a lot of things that are in the Technological Education Curriculum Guideline.”