Raise Awarness Toward Autism in Motorsports

Hello everyone,

My name is Owen Chen, and I am a high school senior from Acton, MA. A crew and I are trying to participate in a motorsports event called the 24 Hours of Lemons, where we race for 24 hours in a $500 vehicle. Our goal is to join the race in New Hampshire this October. Our team decided to represent and raise awareness toward autism through motorsports by making a livery theme for autism and spreading the word on social media after the race. This will thus emphasize the lack of their presence inside the motorsports field, and their potential is unlimited. For our fund raised, 30% will be donated to the American Autism Association. If there is any award money so as any fund over our budget needed, they will also be donated. Please note that we have no official affiliation with the American Autism Association, and our team is purely student-founded and participates in such events volunteerly. Here is a brief introduction video to the 24 Hours of Lemons.

Jason, Daniel(a friend with disability), and I are big fans of anything with an engine and wheels. We have built multiple projects (technically, he did most of the work), including a go-kart capable of reaching over 50 miles per hour with a ram-air intake that is styled like a supercharger.

We are currently working on a racing lawn mower and hope to compete against each other. I'd say we're really "piston heads" (who uses this word anymore, though?).

We just got our race car: a 1998 Civic coupe with a roll cage already in it.

Currently, our car has the roll cage completely done, and 75% of the button boxes wired. We are currently ordering parts for racing tires, pads, and wheels. Daniel expressed his anticipation and high hopes for how this event can spread a positive impact on the disability and motorsports community.

Last year, (from left to right) Jason, Daniel, and I watched a 24 Hours of Lemons race in New Hampshire. After talking with the pit crews and participants, we realized motorsports are not as out of reach as we had imagined. However, we soon discovered that finances would be our biggest obstacle since we are high schoolers currently saving for college. We have some extra savings that will allow us to buy a $500 car, safety equipment, trailers, and a roll cage without dipping into our college funds. This $1,755 fund will cover our registration fee, which includes registration, track time, a paddock pass, track insurance, and an on-site ambulance crew.

We already own most of the tools we need for this event, including welders, 3D printers, air tools, and a backyard full of mechanical parts. Participating in this event will not only allow us to develop our mechanical engineering skills but also inspire us to push our limits and achieve our dreams while spreading the impact and respect toward disability in the motorsport community.

Your support can turn our dreams into reality. Please consider donating to help us seize this incredible opportunity and race toward a brighter future!

Thank you for your generosity,

Owen Chen