SVG, Fox Sports, Speed, Bexel and Game Creek give Florida students inside look at NASCAR compound

The Sports Video Group, Fox Sports, Speed, Bexel and Game Creek Video gave 23 electrical engineering and TV production majors from the University of Florida, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and the University of Central Florida the opportunity for a first-hand tour of the Daytona 500 broadcast compound in the latest effort to find the next-generation of engineering talent.

Day-long tours of the Game Creek Video production trucks, Sportvision’s graphics and telemetry trailer, the Daytona 500 facility, and related transmission and engineering vehicles were led by Michael Davies of Fox Sports, Ken Kerschbaumer of SVG, Kevin Callahan of Game Creek Video, and Bruce Shapiro of Speed. Bexel’s Jim Richardson gave students the opportunity to gain first-hand experience with EVS replay systems and ENG camera systems so they could better understand the basics of televised sports production.

“It was the perfect blend of production and engineering,” says Brad Mouring, University of Florida electrical engineering major and vice president, University of Florida IEEE student branch.

Sandi Andrews, senior program manager, career service office of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, located within a mile of the Daytona International Speedway, used the tour as an opportunity to give some of the schools students who are looking beyond aeronautical studies a chance to open a new career door. Given the university’s close proximity to the NASCAR compound she expects Embry-Riddle students to work on future NASCAR events in Daytona as either runners or production assistants.

“At the top of the list of SVG advocacy activities is opening the eyes of engineering and broadcast students to the exciting opportunities in the sports industry,” says Ken Kerschbaumer, SVG editorial director. “In the past 10 months more than 75 students and teachers have participated in these training sessions, giving sportscasters in North Carolina, New Orleans, and now northern Florida a fresh bed of talent.”

This weekend in New Orleans the NBA will make use of students from Delgado Community College who attended a training event prior to the College Football National Championship last month. And in upcoming months PGA Tour Productions will give students who attended this week’s session a chance to work on PGA Tour events in Florida.

SVG is also putting the finishing touches on SVGU.com, a new Web site designed to help students find available jobs and internships, post resumes, make themselves available as runners or production assistants for events near their school or home, and watch video interviews with leading sports broadcasting production and engineering executives. This week Fox Sports, with the help of Bexel, will produce the first video interviews during the Daytona 500.

“We believe that helping engineering students is a win-win for everyone: the students, the schools, the networks, and even SVG sponsors,” adds Kerschbaumer. “Helping match up top-quality students with SVG member and sponsor companies is more important than ever.”

SVG’s next college student training event is slated to take place and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the week prior to the Indianapolis 500 on May 25.