Eighth-grade students will get their day at Fontana's Auto Club Speedway

FONTANA >> If NASCAR is retuing to Auto Club Speedway this weekend, so are nearly 500 eighth grade students from 17 schools in San Beardino County on Friday as part of the seventh S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Day.

In addition to viewing practice for Sprint Cup and Xfinity Series cars, the students will get a first-hand experience on why science, technology, engineering and mathematics are important to the motorsports community through a series of hands-on activities.

And if that isn’t quite enough, Richard Petty Motorsports driver Eric Almirola will be the guest speaker.

The Fontana Unified School District will be represented by students from Almeria Middle School and Truman Middle School; Ramona Junior High School and Terrace Hills students will represent Colton Unified; Barstow Junior High School will venture south; Big Bear Middle School from Bear Valley Unified School District; Victor Valley will be represented by Cobalt Institute for Math and Science and Hook Junior High School from Victor Valley School District; Etiwanda Intermediate and Heritage Intermediate from the Etiwanda district; Mary Putnam Henck from Rim of the World School District; Hesperia Junior High from Hesperia School District; Mesa View Middle School from Yucaipa Calimesa Joint Unified School District; San Gorgonio Middle School from Beaumont Unified School District; Vanguard Preparatory School from Apple Valley School District and Vineyard Junior High from Ontario Montclair School District.

King Taco, in its third year as a sponsor, will reward students with a pair of reserved grandstand tickets to Sunday’s Auto Club 400 while new sponsor Jersey Mike’s Subs will serve subs.

Collaborative partners for the San Beardino County Superintendent of Schools’ Alliance for Education include Alliance for Education; Chaffey College; John Elway’s Crown Toyota; San Beardino County Superintendent of Schools; San Beardino Community College District; San Beardino Valley College; MESA Program, University of Califoia, Riverside; Toyota Financial Services; and Toyota Motor Sales. Funding for the event is through San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, Toyota Financial Services, John Elway’s Crown Toyota, Toyota Motor Sales, King Taco, Goodyear, Jersey Mike’s Subs and Inland Empire United Way.

Harvick’s future

For as long as Kevin Harvick has competed on the NASCAR Sprint Cup level, he has driven a Chevrolet. In fact, he drove one to victory Sunday in Phoenix for Stewart-Haas Racing.

That will not be the case in 2017 when SHR makes a switch to Ford. Harvick was asked about the move soon after it was aounced and wasted no time in setting the record straight.

“I don’t see any reason why that wouldn’t happen,” Harvick said. “For me, I’m in the best position that I’ve been in with my team. I feel like I have the best crew chief in the garage (Rodney Childers). It would be pretty tough to tu around and walk out on everybody who has been a part of building everything that we have built so far.”

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Since joining SHR in 2014 after leaving Richard Childress Racing, Harvick has won eight races, nine poles and a championship. His lone Cup win at ACS came in 2011 for RCR.

Following his win in the desert, he was soon back on the road, headed for his hometown of Bakersfield.

“We have a few things plaed with the (Kevin Harvick) Foundation that we will unveil Wednesday at the Boys and Girls Club there,” said Harvick. “Looking forward to that and always fun to be able to give back, but this has been a pretty big project for us and the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation to be involved with the Boys and Girls Club (in Bakersfield).

“ I look forward to showing it off to everybody on Wednesday.”

Blaney sets goals

Wood Brothers Racing driver Ryan Blaney is in the rookie class along with Chase Elliott, but Rookie of the Year is not the award he’s set on.

“The main goal is to win,” Blaney said. He finished sixth in Las Vegas and heads to Fontana off a 10th-place finish at Phoenix. “We’re not really here to points race. I want to win races. That’s every team’s goal, and we’re so early in the season I don’t even look at points. I don’t care about that.

“I think if you consistently run in the top 10, then I feel like you are very close to trying to get a win. I don’t want to say it’s out of the question. It’s never out of the question for any team, especially with restrictor-plate stuff. I didn’t come into this year expecting to win. Of course you want to, but you don’t say you will definitely win a race. I think we have a strong team, though, and it’s definitely not out of the question.”