She is currently a high school senior looking to pursue mechanical and motorsport engineering and is in the middle of her college search. After college, her goal is to work for a professional race team in IMSA, NASCAR, or INDYCAR.

Ava had the chance to work with BOSCH engineers during the IMSA Northeast Grand Prix presented by FCP Euro weekend, and shared her experience below:

“During the IMSA Northeast Grand Prix presented by FCP Euro, I had the opportunity to mingle with the IMSA and BOSCH engineers who work behind the scenes at all the IMSA races. During this fantastic experience, I talked with each engineer about the motorsports industry and how they got started and heard some fascinating individual stories. As I will be going to college next year, it was beneficial to learn where they went and what they studied. They all made me feel extremely welcome, and they answered all my questions of which there were many! It was such a blessing to have this opportunity to speak with these incredible people, and it made me more excited for my future. During the race, I watched how the engineers monitored each car during the race to ensure nothing unusual happened, that no one was cheating and therefore a fair race. As a student with my goal of pursuing a career in motorsports, it was exciting and eye-opening to say the least.

In addition to meeting these engineers, I was also able to go into the hot pits and watch each race team function under the stress of a race. You can only imagine the pressure they were under when things didn’t go to plan when the unpredictable happened and they had to react instantly to an unpredictable changing situation

Overall, this was the most exciting race I have ever been to, and I learned so much about so many different aspects of the industry. I can’t thank the IMSA and BOSCH engineers enough for everything they did for me during the weekend. ”

-Ava Viola

The LRDC is seeking interns for the 2023 season. Interested parties should reach out to Jeanette Veitenheimer at jeanette@limerock.com for more information.

The event will offer three options: The “Epic” will be a 68-mile route with nearly 6,000 feet of climbing and 13 unpaved sectors; the “Explorer” will be a 46-mile route with nearly 4,000 feet of climbing and 10 unpaved sectors. Organizers will also offer a gentle 18-mile “Express” route with just two easy dirt road sectors for beginners and novices.

All entrants will receive souvenirs, food, beverages and craft beers as part of their entry.

The Lime Rock Epic will be held Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022. Organized by Connecticut-based Domestique Events LLC, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Connecticut Cycling Advancement Program.

Domestique Events is offering a discount code just for Lime Rock Park fans! Use discount code “FriendsofLRP” for $35 off of your registration! This discount won’t last forever, so use it while you can! For more information, visit bikereg.com/limerockepic.