F1 camp for Las Vegas teens blends go-kart races, tech lessons
Megan Collins, 12, and Jaden Martin, 18, are driven to succeed. At the F1 Drive Karting Camp, they have a chance to race their way to the F1 Drive Grand Prix — the finale of their experience in the new camp — on July 26.
But they also hope to win off the track. Collins’ favorite part of the camp, she said, is not the go-kart races but instead reading about Formula One drivers.
The camp, which is new this year and began Tuesday, is part of a long-standing partnership between the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix and the Boys &Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada, which provides affordable after-school care for families. Over four days, 240 teens from all 13 Southern Nevada clubs will learn about the science behind F1 cars, change their own tires and race each other for 40 spots in the final race.
“I used to go kart racing years ago, so having the chance to go again is amazing,” Martin said.
As teens sped by on an indoor climate-controlled track, Clark County Commissioner Jim Gibson, LVGP Senior Vice President for Corporate Affairs Lori Nelson-Kraft and Boys &Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada CEO Andy Bischel announced the inaugural rendition of the camp.
In each 60-camper cohort — one on Tuesday, one on Wednesday, one on July 15 and one on July 16 — the Boys &Girls Club teens have the opportunity to design their own holographic F1 livery, participate in a scavenger hunt and race each other on an indoor climate-controlled go-kart track.
The camp’s real goal, however, is to expose the teens to career opportunities and ignite their passions for STEM, said Bischel said.
“When you have partners like F1 giving them a truly unique experience, it just sets their goals higher,” Bischel said. “They see more of what they could be.”
Since Formula One came to Las Vegas for an annual grand prix beginning in 2023, it has partnered with community organizations focusing on STEM education, at-risk youth, sustainability and local businesses, according to the Las Vegas Grand Prix website. The race began its partnership with the Boys &Girls Club last year, when it provided a $25,000 grant for STEM programming.
By literally opening the doors to F1’s Las Vegas Grand Prix facility, Nelson-Kraft said, the organization aims to figuratively open doors for the Boys &Girls Club teens, many of whom come from low-income families.
The partnership with the Boys &Girls Clubs, and the organization’s mission, align with F1’s commitment to year-round community engagement, Nelson-Kraft added.
“The community karting program is all about access and opportunity, and that really aligns well with the mission of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada,” she said.
At the same Tuesday news conference, Gibson shared the story of his grandson’s friend, whose life goal, he said, is to qualify to race in F1.
He said it was “incredible” that the Boys &Girls Clubs are giving the same opportunity to the children who benefit from their services.
“This is an opportunity for kids to come here and see that ‘There really are opportunities out there for me, even though I haven’t had many breaks in my life,’ or ‘Maybe in my family, there is not a history of breaks, (but) I might be able to do something for myself that’s a little different,’” Gibson said.
One day, Collins and Martin could be in the driver’s seat on the winding hills of the Monaco Grand Prix, or in the F1 pits, or engineering high-tech vehicles. After all, Nelson-Kraft confirmed, there are no plans to stop the camp after its first year; the Las Vegas Grand Prix hopes to continue it for years to come.
For now, Collins and Martin are focused on the July 26 finals. They want to win.
Contact Isaiah Steinberg at isteinberg@reviewjournal.com. Follow @IsaiahStei27 on X.
