Program Started by Two Officers Expands Automotive Training, Workshops
Los Angeles, CA, February 10, 2020: Youth automotive program Drag Racing Against Gangs and Graffiti (DRAGG) kicks off a new year of equipping at-risk youth high schoolers with automotive skills and mentorships starting with program expansions to Los Angeles, California and Phoenix, Arizona and workshops at the Petersen Automotive Museum (Los Angeles) and Galpin Auto Sports (North Hills, CA). DRAGG’s first workshops of the year will take place on February 15 and February 29 at the Petersen Automotive Museum, where participants will get an up-close look at the museum’s vault of rare cars, motorcycles, and trucks spanning 120 years of automotive history. Classes continue on March 14 and March 28 at Galpin Auto Sports.
Since DRAGG’s founding in 2010 by two Oxnard, California police officers, the program has served over 500 student participants in Ventura County. With this year’s expansion into two new communities, DRAGG’s focus is on raising funds to support more classes and activities at automotive events such as Formula Drift, Gridlife, and the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show. By leveraging the shared enthusiasm for automobiles to provide a common ground for students and law enforcement officers to bond, DRAGG’s workshops provide positive learning opportunities that teach high school students hands-on training, responsibility, and respect for others in the unique environment of the automotive industry. Participating police departments come from Oxnard, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Hueneme. Automotive industry partners include Lucas Oil Products, Ford Motor Company, PKautodesign, Wilwood Engineering, Borla Exhaust, Anderson Composites, Vortech Superchargers, RTR Vehicles, HAAS F1, BRAUM Racing and American Muscle.
About DRAGG
DRAGG is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and collaboration of law enforcement, school districts, and the automotive industry to help high school aged students get off the streets and into careers. The program introduces students to the automotive industry through classroom studies, field trips, and presentations from leaders in the industry while providing mentorships and opportunities for continued education and employment. At-risk youth are provided a viable alternative to a life of gangs and graffiti through lessons that range from basic automotive repair to creative car customization, empowering them to make positive life choices. For more information, visit draggteam.org.
