Travis Taylor | Lariat Photographer
By Dan Henson
Reporter
For those who love nothing more than working on cars, flying down the quarter mile or flinging a roadster around a track as fast as you can, Baylor has the club for you.
Chartered in 2001 by Baylor graduate Jay Jackson, the Baylor High Performance Driving Club, now called the Baylor Driving Club, owns two race cars and has more than 50 active members.
The Baylor Driving Club owns a 1994 Ford Mustang GT 5.0, which they use for both road racing and drag racing, and a 1994 Mazda Miata, which they race in autocross and road racing events.
The club trailers these cars to about 10 events each spring, as well as 15-20 events each fall.
“The club’s slogan is ‘we build, race, and show cars,’” said Houston senior Michelle Carter, who is the vice president of the Baylor Driving Club.
Prospective members can learn more about the Baylor Driving Club by attending their weekly meetings at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the East Parking Garage.
Dues are $50 per semester, which gets members a Baylor Driving Club sticker, T-shirt and the ability to race the club’s cars at their race events.
Members are encouraged to compete in their own cars as well.
Carter said she has been racing her Hyundai Tiburon with the group since she joined in 2008.
Austin junior Tyler Stuckey, who has been a member of the club for three years, said he races both his Infiniti G35 Coupe and his Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle with the club.
Stuckey praised the seat time he has gotten with the club, as well as the input from other members for helping him improve his driving skills.
“The club has definitely advanced my driving skills,” Stuckey said.
The Baylor Driving Club is funded by donations from older members, membership dues and local sponsors such as Bird-Kultgen Ford.
The Baylor Driving Club is working on expanding its presence on campus as well as around Waco.
In addition to hosting prospective member events, the club has been reaching out to local partners and charities, including Meals on Wheels, to help make the club better known around Waco. For Meals on Wheels, club members would deliver food for the charity around Waco.
They are also working with Student Activities to find a new meeting place and home for their race cars.
The Baylor Driving Club has several events planned for this semester.
The club is going to begin work on a new car project on Feb. 23.
“We are going to build a new Miata,” Carter said.
The club is taking over Fountain Mall on March 23, Carter said. The club will display their cars, publicize the group and work on attracting prospective members.
“We want people who enjoy cars to come out,” Carter said. “It doesn’t matter what kind of car you drive.”
The Baylor Driving Club will also be participating in a road race at Texas World Speedway on April 6.
