The 2024 Piston Technician Award at Lime Rock Historic Festival 42

LAKEVILLE, CONN. (September 2, 2024) – The Piston Foundation, in partnership with Lime Rock Park, today presented its third annual Piston Technician Award to Davin Lindy at the Lime Rock Park Historic Festival 42.

The presentation was made by Jeff Mason, president and COO of The Piston Foundation, and Dicky Riegel, president and CEO of Lime Rock Park. Joining in the presentation were John Goldbeck, Automotive Technology Department Head, J.M. Wright Technical High School;15 students from J.M. Wright; and CTECS auto program leader Lou Camacho.

This is the third year the award has been presented at the Lime Rock Park historic races, which recognizes the essential contribution auto technicians make to the collector car community through their trade skills and technical automotive expertise.

Lindy, of Salisbury, Connecticut, manages Mitch Eitel’s vintage racing program out of Brown Brothers Racing in Gaylordsville, Connecticut. Eitel competes in such series as VSCCA, SVRA, HSR, VRG and others in a 1975 Chevron B-31, prepared by Lindy and Marasco Metal Works in Ashley Falls, Massachusetts.

“I feel honored and privileged to be recognized for the work that I do,” said Lindy. “I’ve been very lucky to be able to provide services for Mitch and his collection of cars. It’s been a great opportunity to not only further develop my skills, but it’s something that I get to participate in.

“I think what The Piston Foundation is doing is great,” he added. “Giving young people an opportunity to explore the potential of what they can do with the technology that’s involved here in racing, whether it be old or new, with a chance to learn and be hands on, is a fantastic opportunity.

“I’ve been watching racing here at Lime Rock since I was 2 years old. My stepfather was a racer in the ’60s, and now I get the chance to spend time at the race track.”

The inaugural Piston Technician Award winner in 2022 was Mike Marra of Automobile Associates of Canton, Connecticut. In 2023 the award went to Chris Kvaka of Vintage Racing Services in Stratford, Connecticut.

“These technicians at the historic races at Lime Rock Park on Labor Day weekend are the unsung heroes,” said Robert Minnick, The Piston Foundation founder. “The Piston Technician Award acknowledges the hard work and commitment of technicians to keep a car running at peak performance.”

Race teams, drivers, and car owners during the VSCCA-sanctioned races at the Historic Festival 42 nominated technicians for the award, which is a custom student-made trophy designed and fabricated by automotive technology student Michael Samela, from J.M. Wright Technical School in Stamford, Connecticut. The Piston Foundation recently worked with department head John Goldbeck to complete the donation of a 1994 Mustang Cobra race car to the automotive program. The SN95 Mustang prototype was donated by SCCA racer Charles Ramos.

A Student-Made Trophy

This year’s trophy was designed and fabricated by automotive technology student Michael Samela, from J.M. Wright Technical High School in Stamford, CT. Fifteen of Michael’s auto-tech classmates joined him for the presentation and later a tour of the racing paddock where Michael was working for driver Joe Colasacco of Auriana Racing.

About The Piston Foundation

The Piston Foundation, based in Greenwich, Connecticut, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that helps young car enthusiasts jumpstart a career as classic car technicians. Piston awards tech-school scholarships, connects aspiring technicians with jobs, and champions skilled trade careers in automotive restoration. To shift the classic car workforce from graying into growing, Piston nurtures the passion and talent of the next generation. www.pistonfoundation.org.