• Learning Bus makes big impact in debut year.• Interactive facility to return in 2012.

Formula Kart Stars’ mantra is ‘The Road to Formula One through Racing and Education’ and in 2011 the Formula One Managemen backed championship introduced the first on-site teaching facility to its race meetings, allowing its young drivers to continue their studies at the race track.

Equipped with audio and visual learning aids, an outdoor presentation area, a bank of PC’s and an interactive white board that enables drivers to download and electronically annotate coursework, the unique Boston College Learning Bus has been a fixture at FKS events throughout 2011 and will be again in 2012.

Boston College staff member Mark Marsh is present in the bus throughout the race weekends from Friday morning until Sunday evening to assist drivers and their siblings with their homework and sees the benefits for the drivers first hand.

“At first a lot of people were unsure about using the bus as the drivers are not used tothinking about school on a race weekend,” says Marsh. “But as the year progressed,especially during May and June when a lot of the Junior drivers are in the middle oftheir GCSE’s they began to realise that an hour of quiet study after a days racing canbe extremely useful.”

“The bus is a fantastic tool for all Formula Kart Stars drivers and their brothers andsisters, who often travel with them to race meetings,” says Series Director CarolynnHoy. “In our first year with the learning bus I was surprised at how many drivers tookadvantage of its facilities and we soon developed quite a few regular attendees ateach round.”

Connor Mills, who finished third in the 2011 Formula Kart Stars Mini Max class, was one of the many drivers who spent time in the Learning Bus during 2011.

“The education bus was very good,” says Mills. “It gives kids a good opportunity to getsome peace and quiet and gives you a chance to get your homework done.”

To learn more about Formula Kart Stars please visit formulakartstars.com