cougar strong racing #999
​8th grade team

ELIjah WARD - driver  

My name is Elijah Ward. I am in the 8th grade. It is my 3rd
 year on the team I really liked last year. I was a driver last year and I hope to be a driver this year. My favorite race last year was the F24 Santa sprints. It was when I got to drive in the first heat and drive last and get first it was really fun. I really hope I can be a driver this too.

Fun fact: I play football.

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braden parsons - Pit crew

Hi, my name is Braden Parsons and I am in the 8th grade. Last year I was on the pit crew for the triple #000 team and I'll continue in that role this year for the #999 team. I'm excited about this being my second year on the race team. The reason I am so excited to be on the team is because I love building and racing.

Fun Fact: I have grown up around dirt track racing

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PAYDE AKINS - DRIVER

My name is Payde and I am in the 8th grade. This is my third year on the team as a driver. What I love most about Greenpower is the traveling - it's so fun. I have tons of fun, driving because it's the most exciting thing I have ever done, except cheerleading.

Fun fact: I love to sing and I'm on the competition cheer team and I love to travel.

CAM FREEMAN - assistant pit crew chief

My Name is Cam Freeman I am in the 8th grade. This is my third year on the team and I am the Assistant Pit Crew Chief this year. What I like most is working on the car. My favorite memory was when we raced in the rain at Grissom in May in 2019 and that next week we got soaked at Chattanooga.  We got wet but we had fun. 

Fun Fact: I like fishing and riding fourwheelers.




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LANDEN GOGEL - Pit crew chief

My name is Landen Gogel, I am in the 8th grade, and this is my third year on the team. My favorite part about being on the team is that we get to work on things, and work together as a team, we also get to use valuable soft skills that can impact your future in the workforce. Last year I was the Pit crew chief, and this year I will have that same position.

Fun fact: I love to fish, and sinking four wheelers in mud, like my old saying is “No matter how deep the mud hole is I’m still going through it!"

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Brantley Harrison - data manager

My name is Brantley Harrison, I'm in the 8th grade, and I'm new to the Greenpower team this year. I'm interested in learning new skills related to building the race car. I'll be serving as a data manager on the team this year.

Fun Fact: I have never broken a bone.

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​Tucker Geter - photographer

Whats up, My name is Tucker. I´m in the 8th grade. I am new to the team this year. I'm most excited about working on the race car, and my job as photographer on the #999 team. I´m a little nervous about doing the presentations because speaking in front of others is definitely out of my comfort zone, but I'm looking forward to the challenge. One thing I am interested in is using power tools. I am also thinking it is going to be fun traveling with the team.

​Fun fact: Some of my hobbies are watching the braves and the bulldogs. I also like to play baseball with my family in my yard. I also enjoy fishing and hunting with my friends. 

ELI MCCLUNG - team manager

My name is Eli McClung, I’m in the 8th grade, and I’m a returning team member. Last year, I was the Team Leader, and I'll continue in that position again this year. I decided to do Greenpower again this year because it is really enjoyable in this class and I like racing. This year, I want to try and see if we can get the National Championship for the 3rd year in a row. 

​Fun Fact: One thing that I like is to talk about different cars and vehicles.

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ELI  perry - pit crew

Hey, my Name is Eli Perry. I am in the 8th grade and this is my second year on the team. The reason why I Joined the CSR program is because I have been around racing my whole life. Last year was on the triple #000 team and this year since we moved to grade level specific teams I'll be on the #999 team. I can’t wait for the season to get started. Last year my job was asst. Pit mgr. This year I'll be the alternate driver and a member of our pit crew. A favorite memory from last year was our trip to Oxford, Alabama for the Choccolocco Greenprix.

Fun Fact: I like to fish.

Noah  webb - PIT MANAGER 

My name is Noah Webb, I am in the 8th grade and this is my second year in Greenpower. My brother was on the Greenpower team the last two years while he was at LCMS.  I wanted to be a part of the team to have a hobby that my brother, my dad and me could do together. I am excited to be on the team and to get to go to the races.  

​Fun Fact: I like to joke around with my friends.  

Sammy vega - DATA MANAGER

My name is Sammy Vega and I’m in the 8th Grade. This is my first time on the team, so I don’t know what to expect. I chose to sign up for Greenpower because I have always been interested in design and data analysis. I'm excited about my role as a data manager so that I can help the team by analyzing data, organizing it, and finding a pattern we can work on to improve our performance.

Fun Fact: I live by many quotes. One of them is Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.”

autumn bulloch - driver

I’m Autumn Bulloch & I’m in the 8th grade.  I wanted to be on the Cougar Strong Racing Team because I enjoy driving, engineering, and using teamwork to solve problems. I'm looking forward to driving for the team this year. 

A fun fact about me is that I write songs and play many instruments. 

Hayden Griffin - safety manager / data manager

My name is Hayden Griffin and I'm in the 8th Grade. I'm new to the team this year. I've always wanted to be on the CSR team since I was in the 6th grade. I wanted to be on the team because I felt like it would be a good experience to learn. 

​Fun Fact: I get hurt a lot.

 Team coach / teacher

The Greenpower Tech class at LCMS is taught by Mr. Graham. He has taught 8th grade Georgia History & Math at LCMS for 16 years, but in the fall of 2017 he got to create the first Greenpower Tech class & middle school racing team that is now known as Cougar Strong Racing. After a very successful first season he added a second Greenpower Tech class & team, and increased the number of students in the program to 30. Across a 7 race season he led the new #999 team to a National Championship, with the #000 team earning 2nd place nationally among middle school teams. His goal is to serve as an ambassador for GreenpowerUSA in Troup County and the surrounding areas to increase awareness & participation in this exciting and engaging STEM program for middle & high school students. He looks forward to building on last year's success to achieve even greater goals for year 3 of this program at LCMS!

​Mr. Graham holds a Specialist Degree in Middle Grades Education from the University of West Georgia, and is certified in Math, Language Arts, Social Studies, Special Education, and Gifted Education.