It’s race day. The sun is shining and the BBQ grill is full of hamburgers and hot dogs.

The City College Auto Club is grilling out during a break between race events when a member notices a hungry mechanic and offers the team some hot food.

“We ended up feeding one of the racing teams that didn’t have time to eat, so we were invited back this spring to be in their area,” said Dave Brainerd, instructor of Automotive Services and advisor to the City College Auto Club.

Brainerd said this allowed the students to go behind the scenes at the race and to meet the drivers. Only one week after the Auto Club began they sponsored this trip to Career Day at the Races in Pomona, Calif and plan on returning this spring.

“The club hopes to bring City College students together and people who have a love for cars,” said Will Stone, president and founder of the Auto Club.

Brainerd said in the past there hasn’t been a core group of students as motivated as the group this semester. Brainerd has been with the Auto Department at City College for 22 years, the last seven spent as a full time instructor, and took on the responsibility as the club’s advisor. He said the Auto Club is open to anyone who has an interest in cars.

“Its all got to start somewhere,” said Aaron Allen, vice president of the Auto Club. Stone and Allen said the Auto Club hopes to help build a sense of community on campus. “Something where the college becomes a close-knit campus,” said Stone, “I want to see more City College stickers on cars.”

The Auto Department at City College has always been invested in the local community, according to Brainerd, and the Auto Club can add to this connection.

“We have a lot of support in the community,” he said. A number of local auto shops employ City College graduates and will most likely hire in the program’s future, according to Brainerd. He said his hope is to become more active with the automotive shops in the community because it can help graduates get jobs at local shops.

The Auto Club hopes to sponsor other events next semester and on into the future.

“We have some nice cars that are ready to be shown,” said Stone.

More community events are also planned, like more BBQs and cookouts on campus. The group is also considering volunteering to clear a section of highway. This Friday at 12 noon the Auto Club will be sponsoring a social BBQ with games and free food at Leadbetter Beach. “We want everyone to come together and have a good time,” said Stone.

The Auto Club meets every Monday at 5 p.m. and can be contacted by e-mail at [email protected]. Allen and Stone said the list of activities continues to grow and everyone interested in cars is welcome. They said some of the future activities include trips to famous garages, car shows and race events. “The ones you have to wear ear plugs to watch,” added Allen.