Welding instructors Matt Hofius and Ricky Parker along with welding students pose with the custom-built car they made for the Coweta Grand Prix. Also pictured is WGTC Dean of Arts & Sciences, Beverly Kirk, who volunteered to drive the car in the race.
West Georgia Technical College (WGTC) proudly participated in and sponsored this year’s Coweta Grand Prix, a community event held in downtown Newnan that brings together schools, organizations, and local partners for a day centered around creativity, engineering, and friendly competition.
The Coweta Grand Prix is a community-based soapbox derby-style racing event that allows participants to design, build, and race custom gravity-powered cars. In addition to the races, the event emphasizes hands-on learning, teamwork, and STEM education, providing students and community members the opportunity to apply engineering and fabrication skills in a real-world, high-energy environment.
WGTC’s entry into the event was a collaborative effort between welding students and instructors, who spent several months rebuilding and redesigning a derby car originally constructed in a previous year’s class. The team’s work paid off on race day, with WGTC’s car earning recognition as the Fastest Adult Car at the competition.
Welding instructor Matt Hofius described the project as a true team effort across multiple classes and skill levels.
“As far as the aesthetic, we decided to make the car look like our mascot Knightro with an old hot rod feel,” Hofius said. “We took the car apart, cut it down to size, and started building it back up from there.”
The project was intentionally structured so students could take ownership of different phases of the build. Dual-enrolled student Ben Larson, who had prior experience building a go-kart with his family, helped set up and weld the front suspension. Students in evening classes, Bryson Guarnera and Mason Eidson, fabricated the hood using forms designed by instructors to guide measurements and shaping.
Other creative elements were developed through collaboration across the program. Welding student Alyson Horn designed the wing structures inspired by WGTC’s Knightro mascot, which were later cut using the program’s plasma table and finished with hand-painted detail work. Instructor Ricky Parker supported the project with paintwork and fabrication assistance, while Hofius assisted with final suspension tuning and decal application.
The build process also included sanding, shaping, and final assembly work completed over several months, with students contributing in stages based on class schedules. Hofius noted that the structure of the project allowed students to build on each other’s progress over time.
“The work was split between morning and night classes, so students didn’t always work together at the same time,” Hofius said. “They would come in and see what had been done before and get excited seeing their plans becoming a reality.”
In addition to technical skill development, Hofius said the project reinforced key workforce readiness lessons.
“They learned how to work as a team, how important sequencing is, and how mistakes can affect the whole project,” he said. “There’s nothing worse than having to weld something after it’s already been painted.”
For WGTC, participation in the Coweta Grand Prix also served as an opportunity to engage with the broader community and showcase student talent.
“It’s been great for students to showcase their creativity and abilities,” Hofius said. “And at the event, it’s just fun to see all the different designs and be part of something the community enjoys.”
