HAMILTON - Kevin McGill may be missing school this week, but he's on track to earn extra credit for international relations.

        Kevin, an eighth-grader from Oxford Township, is one of only two teens participating in this week's IFMAR 2002 World Championship/World Cup events at Joyce Park's newly renovated Scale Auto Raceway. His interest in radio-controlled racing landed him the opportunity of piloting one of the Japanese team's cars.

        “I found out they were going to have the world championships here, and came to check it out on practice day,” said Kevin. “I met the Japanese team members, and we became really good friends. Now I'm on their team.”

        That means collecting homework assignments every evening and delivering the completed assignments to school each morning before heading off to the track, where he studies the workings of tiny internal combustion engines with about 120 racing enthusiasts from all over the world.

        Kevin has been racing nitro-powered radio-controlled cars in local and regional events for about a year with the help of his father, who's his mechanic. His new connection with Japan's Team Active has steered him into a more competitive course.

        “They've taught me a lot about how cars work, and they've tried to teach me a bunch of things in Japanese,” he explained. “Next summer I'm going to Japan for a couple of months.”

        “American people are very wonderful,” said Team Active manager Manabu Miyazato of Kyushu, Japan's southernmost region. “They are so friendly.”

        This week Kevin and his racing colleagues from five continents have navigated their way through IFMAR's (International Federation of Model Auto Racing) qualifying races.

        Today's schedule includes semifinals and finals.

        Dennis Young, president of Tri-State Auto Racers Club, the host organization, said that recent improvements to the raceway were crucial to attracting this week's competition. The facility upgrade was funded by the club, the Greater Hamilton Convention & Visitors Bureau, Hamilton Community Foundation and Serpent Model Racing Cars.

        “This track as it exists now is the only one in the U.S. capable of holding a world championship event,” Mr. Young said. “Before, these world races took place in Europe where specific auto racing standards could be met.”

        If you go

        What: IFMAR 2002 World Championship and World Cup

        When: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today

        Where: Hamilton Scale Model Raceway, Joyce Park, Hamilton

        Information: 844-8080 or www.ifmarworlds.com

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