The smell of exhaust and sound of purring engines echoes past as several cars pull into the Lane parking lot. From four-door rally cars to big American muscle cars, the Lane Auto Club shows off the diverse group of vehicles owned by Lane students.

Since 2013, Lane’s Auto Club has been providing Lane gearheads an outlet to share their hob- bies with like-minded students. Members are not confined to a certain type of car and anyone who loves their vehicle can be a part of the club.

Krzysiu Radamski, Div. 573, founded the club during his sophomore year. Upset that the auto shop program at Lane was cut that same year, Radamski took matters into his own hands and formed a club for motorist students.

“It’s basically just a gathering for our members to take group cruises, meet around Chicago, and organize more events for when the weather gets better,” Radamski said.

Lane’s Auto Shop class was cut because of a lack in student interest and the administration’s desire to update the school’s curriculum. The room now houses Lane’s Guitar Ensemble classes.

Radamski’s car of choice is his grey Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 9 with several modifications. The car sports slick black rims, an upgraded intercooler, and menacing spoiler that helps Radamski stay in control of the Lancer at high speeds. While his passion is for Japanese cars, he said he appreciates all types of vehicles and invites all enthusiasts to join the club.

Radamski was first introduced to cars and discovered his interest in the hobby when he saw his first racing movies.

“It started with the ‘Fast and the Furious’ movies, video games, and just watching videos online. It really spiraled into an obsession,” Radamski said.

Along with Radamski, Lane has several auto enthusiasts who participate in the club. Sebastian Golba, Div. 573, has been in the club since 2013. He drives a 2006 Ford Mustang and like the club’s president, he has modified his car to reflect his personality. The grey coupe features a 210 horsepower V6 engine, and to make the car more menacing, Golba removed the mufflers, making the car louder than stock.

Golba participates in the planning and organization of meets along with club president Radamski. He has high hopes for the club and hopes that increased awareness and more car shows will help get more students to join in the future.

“We went to a bunch of meets last year and hopefully as soon as driving weather arrives, we
can have a lot more this year,” Golba said.

Golba, Radamski, and the rest of the club attend several meets during the summer and spring, but have yet to plan their own. They hope that next year will be different and rather than going to meets, they will be able to host one of their own. Ms. Onken, the club’s sponsor and Driver’s Education instructor, is not a stranger to cars. Like Radamski, she felt that since Lane’s auto shop program was cut, a club devoted to cars was necessary for the school.

“It’s just nice to see students having an interest in cars and motorsports again at Lane. I think that’s really important to a technical school,” Onken said.

Like Onken, all the members of Auto Club share a passion for vehicles that is apparent in the customizations and dedication that they put into their rides.