![\"Reinventing](\"http:\/\/www.greenstreetdata.com\/PS\/owego\/files\/2022\/09\/Circle9-scaled.jpg\")
<\/a>The Owego Free Academy built car is pictured at the Annual Mamba Championship, held the weekend of Sept. 9-11 at Watkins Glen International. (Owego Pennysaver Photo)<\/p><\/div>\n
The journey for the students will be highlighted on Friday, Sept. 30, at Stateline Auto Auction in Waverly, N.Y.,<\/strong> where a \u201cFactory Five\u201d Cobra car will be available for Absolute Sale through the Winners Circle Project. The auction will be broadcasting via Instagram starting at 9:15 a.m. <\/p>\n Last year\u2019s build from Waverly took the top dollar at auction among the cars sold. You can visit www.statelineauto.com or www.winners-circle.org to learn more.<\/p>\n Pictured is Waverly\u2019s build with Champion Chris Dyson behind the wheel during the Annual Mamba Championship, held the weekend of Sept. 9-11 at Watkins Glen International. (Owego Pennysaver Photo)<\/p><\/div>\n Students neared the finish line in September when they took their cars to the streets in Watkins Glen, N.Y. for the Annual Mamba Championship, held the weekend of Sept. 9-11 at Watkins Glen International.<\/p>\n According to Pius Kayiira, founder of the Winners Circle Project, the main event for students on Sept. 9 was a packed house, with young participants arriving from four surrounding school districts: Candor, which was last year\u2019s champion, Waverly, Owego, and Watkins Glen, who is new to the program this year. <\/p>\n Tony Parella, president and CEO of the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association, drives the Candor built car during the Annual Mamba Championship, held the weekend of Sept. 9-11 at Watkins Glen International. (Owego Pennysaver Photo)<\/p><\/div>\n Students from Alfred State help to inspect the vehicle for safety and overall aesthetics. The competition was scored by four categories, overall build quality, car performance, and marketing and advertising, each worth 25%. <\/p>\n Each category was judged by experts in their own field to include PR specialist Ashley Van Dyke, CEO of AVP Motorsports; Pam Shatraw, chief editor for SpeedTour magazine; and Andrew Smith, director of Alfred State\u2019s Motorsports Department were a few of those experts on-hand. <\/p>\n Childhood pals make good on plans from 1987 at a summer camp to work together when they get older. Mission accomplished! Both won big at the Glen as Chris Dyson won a back-to-back series championship the weekend of Sept. 9-11. Pius Kayiira also won big when students involved in his Winners Circle Project won their championship on Sept. 9 at Watkins Glen International. (WCP Photo)<\/p><\/div>\n Students were able to tour the TransAM paddock and tech stations, where question and answer sessions were offered, giving students an opportunity to engage with the race teams. <\/p>\n The weekend concluded on Sunday afternoon when Chris Dyson earned enough points to win back-to-back series championships. <\/p>\n Fred Mills leads the prayer for Waverly at the Annual Mamba Championship, held the weekend of Sept. 9-11 at Watkins Glen International.<\/p><\/div>\n For the students, this year\u2019s champion build was from Waverly School District. The group was presented with the \u201cMamba Award,\u201d soon to be named the \u201cMichael Spencer Award,\u201d at the conclusion of qualifications and testing. <\/p>\n Michaela Spencer, from Waverly, is one of those inspired students who forged ahead with her education, taking on the build challenge as a student pursuing her dreams. <\/p>\n Her father, Michael Spencer, is highlighted in an upcoming release of \u201cFrom Zero to a Hundred,\u201d a film by Matteo Banfo based on the journey for students involved in the program. \u201cThe Finish Line Is Just The Beginning,\u201d is the film\u2019s subtitle that defines the program.<\/p>\n \u2018Michael Spencer is the ultimate example of resilience. He came back from five heart attacks,\u201d said Kayiira, adding, \u201cHe never missed a Winners Circle Project event. Worked for 35 years at a management position at a fast food restaurant. Even after he suffered his last heart attack called the widowmaker, he always kept his family strong and throughout that time he never complained. Mike was able to send his children to college, and his daughter won an award from the Senator for being a kind person.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt honors me to honor him,\u201d said Kayiira.<\/p>\n The Michael Spencer 1st place trophy was awarded to Waverly at the Annual Mamba Championship, held the weekend of Sept. 9-11 at Watkins Glen International. (Owego Pennysaver Photo)<\/p><\/div>\n Because of this honor and admiration, and much to the surprise of Michael Spencer, the Winners Circle Project Award, from this day forward, will be named the \u201cMichael Spencer Award.\u201d<\/p>\n The original award name, \u201cThe Mamba,\u201d was a name coined by Kayiira and inspired by Kobe Bryant. <\/p>\n Kobe inspired me because of his mentality and approach to life. The winning mindset. Dedication to be the best you could be without limitations. The pursuit of excellence.<\/p>\n Pictured at the Annual Mamba Championship at Watkins Glen International, held the weekend of Sept. 9-11, are students from Waverly, Watkins Glen, Candor, and Owego. (WCP Photo)<\/p><\/div>\n As for the movie, From Zero to a Hundred, it is in the final stages of editing this fall and features artwork by Matteo Banfo, videographer, and the journey of the program thus far, in Tioga County and beyond.<\/p>\n According to Kayiira, they started shooting content for a commercial in 2019 and decided to do a film instead.<\/p>\n Pictured is Al Unser Jr., American race car driver and two-time Indianapolis 500 winner and Michaela Spencer, star of the upcoming documentary, \u201cFrom Zero to a Hundred.\u201d Al Unser Jr. signed all three cars at the Annual Mamba Championship, held the weekend of Sept. 9-11 at Watkins Glen International. (WCP Photo)<\/p><\/div>\n The film highlights how the program all started, with storylines on how the students worked through the pandemic and continued to coordinate things; it\u2019s a movie where self-empowerment meets leadership head on, teaching students a variety of skills on all spectrums of development, with a finished product that brings in the funding for continued projects. <\/p>\n Tony Parella, president and CEO of the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association chats with WCP Founder and Executive Director Pius Kayiira during the Annual Mamba Championship, held the weekend of Sept. 9-11 at Watkins Glen International. (WCP Photo)<\/p><\/div>\n \u201cThe film shows how these students stepped up to the plate, and the work that they continue to put into their build,\u201d said Kayiira, adding, \u201cWe are inspiring the next generation of workers. I think the film will change the way we do education in America; it highlights rural America and the people that live here.\u201d<\/p>\n All in all, Kayiira added, there is about 300 hours of filming, with footage of the students involved as well. To learn more about the film, you can view the trailer at https:\/\/youtu.be\/NeyvbwF0re0<\/a>.<\/p>\n As for Kayiira, his journey has gone full circle.<\/p>\n Pictured at the Annual Mamba Championship at Watkins Glen International, held the weekend of Sept. 9-11, is Champion Chris Dyson, with WCP Founder and Executive Director Pius Kayiira standing on Dyson\u2019s left. (WCP Photo)<\/p><\/div>\n Kayiira met Chris Dyson, TransAm II Champion, when he was ten years old and right after his father, Andrew Kayiira, was assassinated in Uganda. The year was 1987, and Dyson and Kayiira became friends at summer camp. At that time they agreed to work together when they got older, and that mission was accomplished when Dyson won big at the Glen and Kayiira claimed victory as well, holding the championship for his non-profit racing organization on the same weekend.<\/p>\n Kayiira\u2019s father was the Minister of Energy and Special Finance in Uganda at one time, and was in political exile. <\/p>\n \u201cHe was trying to bring democracy to Uganda,\u201d said Kayiira about his father, and the assassination. <\/p>\n He added, \u201cHis shadow was huge; he was larger than life. My grandmother\u2019s decision to send him to school changed the trajectory of the entire lives of Uganda as he went on to get his doctrine in criminal justice from the University of Albany. His dissertation on Kondoism went on to be added to the dictionary and used throughout the world.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>Featured in the upcoming film is WCPs Pius Kayiira, student Michaela Spencer, CJ Riker, Eric Knolls, Fred Mills, Sage Garrison, Alivia Barrett, and Kaden Gonzalez, along with Michael Spencer as an inspirational role model, supporting Michaela\u2019s efforts and offering up his own time to help with the build.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>