As the green flag dropped on the biggest race week in the Carolinas, a historic day in NASCAR history was made in Mooresville with the opening of the country's only NASCAR Technical Institute.

On Monday, the rev of a race car engine and the crack of a champagne bottle across its hood marked the official opening of NTI - a school created through a partnership of NASCAR and Universal Technical Institute, Inc., one of the nation's leading providers of technical education training.

The Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association reports that for every 10 technicians who retire or change careers, only two or three new technicians enter the workforce, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates there is a nationwide shortage of 60,000 automotive technicians.

That's what NTI will work to help.

Developed to boost the number of automotive service technicians entering the manufacturer, aftermarket and motorsports industries, the $12 million facility located in Talbert Pointe Business Park is the country's first-ever technical training school to combine a complete automotive technology program and a NASCAR-specific motorsports program.

"The product is only as good as the chemistry and talent of the people that put it together," said NASCAR President Mike Helton at NTI's glitzy grand opening on Monday, attended by area business and government leaders, and leading racing-industry officials.

"We're thrilled to partner with UTI in this educational initiative," he added. "By combining the skill and expertise that UTI has in training tomorrow's technicians with the thrilling and exciting nature of NASCAR racing, this school will be able to recruit quality students and help boost the number of service technicians entering the workforce, including future crew members.

"It's very exciting," Helton said, "for us to be here tonight in Mooresville, North Carolina, to cut the ribbon, so to speak."

The 146,000-square-foot institute will provide the necessary training for up to 1,900 students a day to excel as entry-level technicians, as well as additional training needed to enter the motosports industry.

The school is the exclusive educational partner of NASCAR, sitting on 19 acres of land on Byers Creek Road. It houses more than 45 classrooms and 49,000 square feet of hands-on shop training areas, various labs and dynamometers and two automobile manufacturers' custom-training programs. There is also a 50,000-square-foot expansion area for future development.

The school will begin classes on July 1 with about 150 employees, but classes are full through February 2003.

It will offer students two programs: A 57-week Automotive/NASCAR technology track and a 69-week Automotive/NASCAR/Ford Accelerated Credential Training (FACT) program.

For the first program, which costs $24,350, students will attend 39 weeks of traditional automotive service technology training and 18 weeks of NASCAR-specific training. The Crew Chief Club, an advisory board comprised of NASCAR Winston Cup Series crew chiefs, is assisting in developing the NASCAR portion of the coursework.

The 69-week program costs $29,100, and students will go through the 57-week training plus 12 weeks of the Ford FACT program.

Coursework includes engine construction, electrical, fuel and lubrication systems, drive trains, body and chassis fabrication and racing theory principals. Students will also learn the history, rules and regulations of NASCAR, as well as the teamwork that is needed in today's automotive and racing industries.

"We are raising the concept of education to what is clearly a whole new level," said James C. "Jay" Burkhart, vice president of marketing and aftermarket for North America's Federal-Mogul Corp.

Added Dennis Hendrix, NTI's school director, "This is a chance of a lifetime for students. "Thanks to UTI, NASCAR, NASCAR licensees, industry sponsors and many others, we are able to provide students with a modern facility, the latest equipment and training aids, instructors direct from the industry, additional scholarship support and an exciting environment to work in."

Roger Penske, founder and chairman of Penske Corp. and chairman of UnitedAuto Group, Inc. said this was a "watershed time" for NASCAR and UTI. He said on Monday that UTI, which has seven campuses nationwide, will graduate 6,500 students in 2002 - over 5,000 of which will enter the auto industry.

"This is the homerun," he said of the NTI facility. "This is the winner's circle, the checkered flag."

And what makes it even better, he added, is that the facility is located in Mooresville - right in "the heart of racing."

For more information on NTI, its programs, scholarships or admissions requirements, call 1-866-31 NASCAR, or visit www.uticorp.com