WyoTech, the official technical school of NHRA, recently offered its guidance and technical know-how to Drag Race High, a reality TV show that pits rival high school students against each other as they build race cars. The show captured the emotion, rivalry, and real-life lessons of preparation and competition as contestants raced against the clock to build a race car from the ground up.

Nine weeks of classroom theory and hands-on building led two Tennessee high school teams, Fairview High School in Fairview and East Hickman High School in Lyles, to a final face-off on the quarter-mile dragstrip at Beech Bend Raceway Park in Bowling Green, Ky. Judging the winner went well beyond which team had the fastest car on race day. Criteria included how well the vehicle conformed to the rules, which team had the most donated parts, which team raised the most money, and which car underwent the biggest transformation, including the quality of the engine, bodywork, and paint.

Along with WyoTech, sponsor and industry leader Vic Edelbrock offered his knowledge and direction to both schools. Winners earned all-important local bragging rights and prize packages that included scholarships from WyoTech.

“Rivalry between local high schools is a time-honored tradition, and what better way to honor this tradition than with a competition of wit and skill. These students are extraordinarily talented. Pair that with determination and good-natured competitiveness, and you have a show that's far more exciting than any high school sporting event,” said Bradley Wagoner, instructor at WyoTech's Laramie, Wyo., campus and judge of Drag Race High.