RRDC Reaffirms its Support for the Team USA Scholarship
“We at the Road Racing Drivers Club are extremely proud to be continuing our involvement in the highly successful Team USA Scholarship in 2011," said Bobby Rahal, president of the RRDC. “We have watched this program grow in stature since the RRDC first came on board in 1997. It is no doubt one of the best programs to assist young American race-car drivers early on in their careers and we are privileged to be able to extend our support."
As in the past three seasons, the Team USA Scholarship will enter two young drivers – teenagers Neil Alberico, from Los Gatos, Calif., and Trent Hindman, from Wayside, N.J. – in the Formula Ford “Kent" Festival at Brands Hatch on October 15/16 and the Walter Hayes Trophy at Silverstone on November 5/6. Each weekend will comprise three races. This year the program has been expanded to include another slightly more experienced driver – Spencer Pigot, from Windermere, Fla. – who will contest both the premier Formula Ford “Duratec" Festival at Brands Hatch and the previous weekend’s final round of the MSA Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain on the “Arena" circuit at Silverstone – the same track which hosts the Formula One British Grand Prix.
“This is tremendous news for young American race car drivers," said auto racing writer and broadcaster Jeremy Shaw, founder of the Team USA Scholarship. “The RRDC is a prestigious organization, and to have its membership be so supportive of the young talent in this country bodes extremely well for the future."
The Road Racing Drivers Club, founded in 1952 and with its mission defined by Mark Donohue, its spiritual leader and an early president, has played a substantial role in improving insurance and safety standards for drivers, crews, workers and fans. Members are elected by their peers and include Formula One World Champions, Indy 500 winners, champion sports car drivers and top American amateur road racers, as well as leading industry professionals, race officials and motorsports journalists who have made significant contributions to the sport. New members eligible to display the distinctive steering wheel logo this year include Helio Castroneves, Scott Goodyear, J.R. Hildebrand, Stefan Johansson, Johnny O’Connell, Johnny Rutherford and Guy Smith.
The RRDC hosts annual dinners during the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona and the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach when the Mark Donohue, Phil Hill and Bob Akin Awards are presented to recognize outstanding achievements in the sport. In recent years as part of its commitment to mentoring young drivers and in conjunction with the FIA Institute for Motor Sport Safety, the RRDC has hosted several highly acclaimed “Safe is Fast" workshops. The wealth of information is now available to drivers via a new website, www.SafeisFast.com, which includes a variety of tutorials highlighting driver safety, fitness, mental preparation, sponsorship and race car dynamics.
The Team USA Scholarship program also is supported by Doug Mockett & Company, Cooper Tire & Rubber Company, Walldinger Racing, Robo-Pong, INDYCAR’s Mazda Road to Indy, Mazda, Bondurant School of High Performance Driving, Honda Performance Development, NameSilo, Silicon Salvage, McMurry Inc., Robertson Racing, Parathyroid, PitFit Training, Sparco USA, eFormulaCarNews.com, Speedstar Management, Styled Aesthetic and Manifest Group as well as numerous past Scholarship winners.