Jason Taghikhani is living life in the fast track — literally.

The 23-year-old College of Engineering senior will be competing in the last race of the Mid-American Stock Car series in LaCrosse this weekend.

The 45-lap race will seal Taghikhani's rookie-of-the-year title and determine his final point standings for the season. Taghikhani, the number 41 car driver, is currently in second place in the point rankings, according to Gary Verauteren, series representative.

As long as he places better than the driver who is third in the point standings Saturday, he will retain his second place standing.

"It's a good feeling, especially when we are beating people who have been doing this for 20 or 30 years," Taghikhani said.

The pending series, second place standing and rookie-of-the-year title mark the achievement of one of Taghikhani's season goals and brings him one step closer to his dream of becoming a Nascar driver. However, racing was not always Taghikhani's dream.

Growing up in Franklin, Taghikhani did not aspire to become a racer. During his childhood and high school career, he indulged in other sports — track, wrestling, and football. His interest did not become serious until he started following more closely his uncle's racing career in the ASA short track series.

"Everyone sits in the stands and wonders why a driver did this or that, and I sat there and said, 'I'm going to be that guy,'" he said.

So Taghikhani approached his uncle about racing, who informed him of the costs and requirements of becoming a racer.

Eager to buy his first racing car, Taghikhani worked several odd jobs, including stints at Culver's fast food and in a mechanic shop. He quit playing high school football, as well as the other sports he was involved in. And he kept his plans to race a secret.

"I didn't tell anybody, not even my parents, why I quit all this stuff and I was working so much," he said. When he eventually informed his parents of his intentions, their reactions were mixed.

The news was better received by his father than his mother, so he promised her that he would attend college — a privilege she did not have — in addition to pursuing his racing career.

His decision to attend school mirrors that of his racing inspiration, Alan Kulwicki, as well as a new wave of drivers entering the circuit who are earning college degrees before pursuing racing full time.

Although Taghikhani admits he sometimes considered not attending college, he is overwhelmingly pleased with his decision and draws a parallel between racing and education.

"Engineering has really taught me how to look at problems in racing in different ways and be creative," he said. "A lot of the things I've learned from racing I can adapt and apply to school, so these go hand in hand."

Skills aren't the only thing Taghikhani has found at Marquette; he met his current pit crew members Tom Reiss, 2005 College of Engineering alumnus, and Chris Potokar, a College of Engineering graduate student, at Marquette. Taghikhani has been working with Reiss for the past three years and with Potokar since the spring.

In addition, the College of Engineering has assisted Taghikhani by sponsoring his car and purchasing the ad on his race car's side panel.

"When we go out to a racetrack, there's a lot of fans who recognize the name 'Marquette,'" Potokar said. "The overall impact we're having on the image of Marquette is a good one, and as we keep moving up and getting into better cars, it's going to keep getting better."

Marquette is the only school in the country that sponsors a racer, Taghikhani said.

In the pits, Reiss and Potokar are Taghikhani's right-hand men. They help prepare the car before the race, adjust it during practice runs and spot him throughout the race by radioing to his vehicle and keeping an eye on the track.

"We try to do our best so that Jason doesn't have to do anything besides get in the car and drive," Potokar said. Even though they are not on the track, Potokar and Reiss are an integral part of the racing, and Taghikhani's mind is moving almost as fast as his car when he's on the track.

"Racing is so mentally challenging," he said. "You are driving 140 mph and there are 30 cars that are inches from you; what it does to your head is you're thinking constantly."

This article was published in The Marquette Tribune on October 6, 2005.