Georgia Tech fans see the Ramblin’ Wreck in its biggest moments: bursting from the tunnel before football games, rolling down Yellow Jacket Alley as the football team heads to Bobby Dodd Stadium, sitting on North Avenue during Helluva Block Party as a site for photo opportunities. It will even be in Tampa, Florida, when Tech plays Central Florida in the Gasparilla Bowl on Dec. 22.
But the iconic vehicle plays a significant role on campus beyond game day. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution spent an entire game day with the Tech Cheer Squad and spoke with Wreck driver Omar Khan on Nov. 18 about his job and typical game-day routine. Here’s some insight that Tech fans may not know about the Wreck:
How the Wreck driver is selected
The few requirements to be the Wreck driver include being a member of the student-run Ramblin’ Reck Club (which uses a different spelling for the car), having a drivers’ license and being on campus for the full academic year. Elections take place around Thanksgiving each year, with December being used as a training month for the new driver to learn about maintenance, the Wreck’s operations and how to haul the vehicle. The new driver starts in January.
Where the Wreck is stored
The Wreck previously was housed in what Khan called a “hole in the wall” next to McCamish Pavilion.
“That was for security purposes,” he said. “We didn’t want anything to get damaged. When you look at it from the outside, it looks like any other storage container, but that’s where we kept the Wreck.”
That changed in spring 2023, when Tech unveiled a new garage next to the John Lewis Student Center – a “gorgeous” location, Khan said. The Wreck’s new home features a lift, tool storage, an outdoor car wash and a spinning turntable for the car.
Fans’ most pressing questions about the Wreck
On game days, Khan drives around to tailgates to chat with fans, who can take photos with the Wreck. Fans most frequently ask about the car’s make and model (1930 Ford Model A Sport Coupe), how long Tech has had the car (since 1961), the vehicle’s specs and how a student becomes the Wreck driver.
The Wreck’s daily routine
Khan drives the Wreck around campus about one to two hours each day. He tends to stick to the heart of campus near areas such as Ferst Drive, Tech Green and the Campus Recreation Center.
“We say the Wreck is owned by the student body,” Khan said. “It’s no more mine than any other student. We love to give rides to them.”
He often picks up students from late-night study sessions at the library and provides a ride home to their dorms. The recreation center is another popular location for riders, he said. The only exception for offering rides: first-year students are not allowed in the Wreck, as it is seen as bad luck.
It’s a big deal for students to get their first Wreck ride, Khan said. There’s a stash of stickers in the Wreck that say “first ride” on them that are given to first-time passengers.
The Wreck’s typical speed
The Wreck’s maximum speed during an average day on campus: 28 mph, Khan said. He said reaching that speed can be difficult, but there are some downhill stretches of campus that lead the car to pick up that pace.
The vehicle’s usual speed is no more than 5 mph on the campus sidewalks, which the Wreck is allowed to travel on, and no more than 15 mph on campus roads.
The Wreck can reach up to 70 mph, according to Khan. He’s never driven the Wreck at that speed, so he’s unsure if it’s completely true, but that piece of knowledge was passed on to him, he said.
The Wreck driver’s other responsibilities
Fans can book the Wreck for various events such as retirement parties, graduation photo shoots and student events.
One of Khan’s favorite moments as Wreck driver was bringing the car to Dance Marathon, which benefits Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. Children and their families served by these hospitals are invited to Dance Marathon, where Khan said he took pictures with them and drove them around campus.
The Reck Club’s mission is “spreading joy,” Khan said. Part of that is their annual Pennies for Sideways event held on Reading Day each semester before final exams. The club provides students with pennies to place on the grave of Sideways, a legendary dog who lived at Tech in the 1940s and is buried on campus.
The Wreck’s role during games
After Khan parks the Wreck on the sideline in the minutes before kickoff, he hangs out by the car in the southwest corner of the field and watches the game.
His only duties: making sure a stray football doesn’t hit the Wreck and hoping no players run into it.
“There’s nothing I can do to stop that,” Khan said.
