DENSO Manufacturing Michigan (DMMI) - For the third consecutive year, DMMI associates competed in the annual Junior Achievement Grand Prix of Battle Creek. The race is the largest annual fundraiser for Junior Achievement of South Central Michigan.

The Grand Prix is held in downtown Battle Creek and features company-sponsored, go-cart-size, Indy-style race cars that reach speeds of up to 35 mph. Nineteen area businesses fought it out through a fastest tire change competition, a horse-shoe like game of ‘piston toss,’ a dozen preliminary races and three feature races, hoping to score enough points to qualify for the Championship Heat. Only 14 of the 26 entries made it to the Championship Heat.

A daylong event, the competition not only rasies funds for a good cause, it also helps build relationships between participating businesses by fostering a party-like pit area and friendly contests.

Drivers and crews of the DMMI cars are drawn randomly from DMMI’s Teams of the Year. Teams of the Year are specially recognized teams of associates chosen by DMMI management that have shown vast improvements in safety, quality and production. Selected teams then choose the associates to serve as crew members and drivers.

DMMI race teams are involved with everything prior to and on race day, from modifying the car to run faster, to taking the wheel to represent DENSO on race day.

“It was such a rush,” said Jeff Domenico, who raced one of the two DMMI entries into a fourth place finish in the Championship Heat. “I just kept focusing on the track ahead, and keeping the car on the track. They [pit crew members] did a great job getting the car into peak racing condition.”

This year, Junior Achievement netted approximately $40,000 from the race, helping to provide materials and volunteers to over 630 classrooms and Job Shadow experiences to more than 1,600 students in Barry, Branch, Calhoun and St. Joseph counties.

—Robert Maas