The fumes of high octane filled the air, making my eyes tear. The roar of a thundering piston-powered V8 Ford Mustang shattered the silent night. Unexpectedly, a high-pitched scream from a revving rotary-powered Mazda caught my attention after leaving a thick smell of burnt rubber and raw race fuel. After the blinding green flash from the starting light went off, both cars bolted from the starting line. I watched in total shock as the little Mazda overpowered the big Mustang down the quarter mile. This mind-boggling event made me take an interest in learning how the small but amazing rotary engine worked.

My curiosity about the Wankel rotary engine was rekindled when my brother brought home a Mazda RX7 powered with a rotary engine. I researched its history and performance and was left in total disbelief. After having an idea of how it operated, I made an effort to learn every component and its function through rebuilding one. Thanks to my brother’s friend, who owns a Mazda shop, I gained the information through hands-on experience rebuilding these engines. Since then I have gotten interested in learning how to put together different combinations of Mazda RX7 models, like interchanging certain internals to get more horse power. I am currently working on how to turbo-charge rotary motors.

After attaining all this knowledge, I searched for an opportunity to apply it. I was finally able to put it to good use when my brother bought me my first car: a Mazda RX7. I decided to increase the horse power by maximizing the intake and exhaust air flow. I rebuilt the engine to add larger ports and high compression seals for better air flow. I then changed the original exhaust system for one with larger diameter piping and added a less restrictive air filter for increased efficiency. I ended up with a car that can easily out perform most of today’s new cars.

Modifying my car was the perfect opportunity for me to prove that I could apply my knowledge. Now I think that I can easily take things I learn in the classroom and apply them to real-life situations. This experience will help me be a successful college student, too.

My craving for knowledge has not stopped. I plan to expand my understanding of how machinery operates by taking engineering courses. I hope that in the near future I will have a career where I can improve, design and build cars.