{"673756":{"#nid":"673756","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Revving Toward Success: A Journey into Racing and Engineering","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EIn the high-octane world of motorsports, where speed is king and precision is paramount, individuals like Harbir Dass stand out not only for their skills on the track but also for their dedication to engineering excellence. As a first-year Georgia Tech \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003Emechanical engineering\u003C\/a\u003E student with an automotive concentration, Dass\u2019 journey intertwines his passion for racing with his pursuit of engineering.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EFrom a young age, Dass has shown a fascination with creating and designing machines that move. He fondly recalls how in the 8th grade he saved all his money and invested in a Lincoln Electric welder so that he could build his own go-kart. That experience ignited a passion that propelled him toward mechanical engineering.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cI discovered go-kart racing in 8th grade and knew that I had found my type of sport,\u201d Dass said.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EBalancing the demands of academia with the rigors of racing is no easy feat. Dass\u2019 schedule is a whirlwind of long racing weekends, with classes sometimes taking a back seat to his passion for motorsports. Despite the challenges, he strives to excel both on the track and in the classroom, juggling coursework with race preparations and commitments.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EDass\u2019 dedication to the sport recently earned him the \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gotransam.com\/news\/More-Than-a-Dozen-Drivers-Awarded-Support-from-PMH-Powering-Diversity-Scholarship\/72965\u0022\u003E2024 Parella Motorsports Holdings Powering Diversity Scholarship\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E for the Ligier JS Formula 4 series. \u003C\/span\u003EIn a sport as competitive as racing, recognition of his diverse background was both validating and inspiring. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca\u003E\u201cI appreciate being recognized as an individual with a diverse background and hope that my presence in motorsports can inspire others to participate in this exciting sport,\u201d Dass explained.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EBeyond racing and engineering, Dass enjoys working on his project cars and playing on his electric guitar. These passions serve as outlets for creativity and relaxation, \u003Ca\u003Ehelping him recharge.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EWith each lap around the track and every project in the workshop, he embodies the spirit of innovation and the relentless pursuit of excellence. As he continues to carve his path in the world of motorsports, one thing remains certain: Harbir Dass is a force to be reckoned with, both on and off the track.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFirst-year mechanical engineering student Harbir Dass went from building his own go-karts in\u0026nbsp;eighth\u0026nbsp;grade to\u0026nbsp;becoming a professional race car driver.\u0026nbsp;Racing either\u0026nbsp;a Mazda Spec MX-5 or\u0026nbsp;a Formula 4 car, Harbir balances the demands of academia with the rigors of racing. Despite the challenges, he strives to excel both on the track and in the classroom. In his free time,\u0026nbsp;he\u0026nbsp;also finds time to work on his project cars and play\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;electric guitar.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"First-year mechanical engineering student Harbir Dass went from building his own go-karts in\u00a0eighth\u00a0grade to\u00a0becoming a professional race car driver."}],"uid":"34973","created_gmt":"2024-03-26 15:29:04","changed_gmt":"2024-03-28 17:28:26","author":"Evan Atkinson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-03-28T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2024-03-28T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"673515":{"id":"673515","type":"image","title":"Harbir1","body":"\u003Cp\u003EHarbir Dass with race car\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1711560996","gmt_created":"2024-03-27 17:36:36","changed":"1711560996","gmt_changed":"2024-03-27 17:36:36","alt":"Harbir Dass with race car","file":{"fid":"256920","name":"Screenshot 2024-03-27 at 9.27.07\u202fAM.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/03\/27\/Screenshot%202024-03-27%20at%209.27.07%E2%80%AFAM_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/03\/27\/Screenshot%202024-03-27%20at%209.27.07%E2%80%AFAM_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1326146,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/03\/27\/Screenshot%202024-03-27%20at%209.27.07%E2%80%AFAM_0.jpg?itok=wIWB1APi"}},"673516":{"id":"673516","type":"image","title":"Harbir2","body":"\u003Cp\u003EHarbir Dass with race car\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1711560996","gmt_created":"2024-03-27 17:36:36","changed":"1711560996","gmt_changed":"2024-03-27 17:36:36","alt":"Harbir Dass with race car","file":{"fid":"256921","name":"DBD9A0B4-C9FF-4DE1-99E1-269D66CDB396.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/03\/27\/DBD9A0B4-C9FF-4DE1-99E1-269D66CDB396.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/03\/27\/DBD9A0B4-C9FF-4DE1-99E1-269D66CDB396.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1003935,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/03\/27\/DBD9A0B4-C9FF-4DE1-99E1-269D66CDB396.jpg?itok=nlg0l2HI"}},"673517":{"id":"673517","type":"image","title":"Harbir3","body":null,"created":"1711560996","gmt_created":"2024-03-27 17:36:36","changed":"1711560996","gmt_changed":"2024-03-27 17:36:36","alt":"Harbir Dass with go-kart","file":{"fid":"256922","name":"C2B1013B-314F-40F9-B759-00BBE7ED0963.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/03\/27\/C2B1013B-314F-40F9-B759-00BBE7ED0963.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/03\/27\/C2B1013B-314F-40F9-B759-00BBE7ED0963.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":9970023,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/03\/27\/C2B1013B-314F-40F9-B759-00BBE7ED0963.jpg?itok=xPJmqK7V"}}},"media_ids":["673515","673516","673517"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/archive\/features\/need-speed-georgia-techs-racing-roots-part-2.shtml","title":"The Need for Speed: Georgia Tech\u2019s Racing Roots, part 2"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"}],"keywords":[{"id":"98751","name":"College of Engineering; George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022eatkinson6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EEvan Atkinson\u003C\/a\u003E, Institute Social Media Manager\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["eatkinson6@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}