Chasing a Dream

By enrolling in Launch courses, Kirkwood High School student Spike Kohlbecker was able to follow his racing career overseas.
When Kirkwood student Spike Kohlbecker was offered the opportunity to travel overseas to race in the New Zealand Formula Ford National Championship Series, he knew it was too good to pass up. There was one issue, though—Spike is a sophomore in high school, and he couldn’t exactly take off for three months. Thankfully, the Kirkwood School District partners with Launch, and Spike was able to transfer to a full online schedule for his time Down Under. “Launch affords me the ability to race in New Zealand, and also provides me with the flexibility to work on school work at times that fit in with my hectic schedule,” Spike says.
     When he logs on in New Zealand, Spike is actually 19 hours ahead of his instructors back in Missouri. “My teachers have been really great with it all,” Spike says. “I let them know I’m on a different schedule, and they understand.” This makes it much easier for Spike to blend racing in with his daily doses of reading, writing and arithmetic—all while chasing his dream. “I’ve been racing since I was 4,” Spike says. “Motorsports is a passion—a way of life for me.”