Raced-on Cooper Atlantic tires raise money
At every 2007 Champ Car Atlantic U.S. event, race fans had the opportunity to purchase race-used Cooper Atlantic tires autographed by stars of the Champ Car Atlantic Championship for $10 per tire. Fans could also purchase unsigned tires for $5. All told, the program raised more than $8,000 during the 2007 Champ Car Atlantic season, with 100 percent of the proceeds going to the Hole In The Wall Camps for children with serious illnesses.
“This is an example of how a used tire can bring a lot of comfort for sick children," said Newman, “I take my hat off to Mr. (Chris) Pantani (of Cooper Tire) for that."
Following each race in the U.S., two Champ Car Atlantic Championship drivers spent 30 minutes signing race-used tires at the traveling Cooper Tire display. Among the drivers who participated in the program are 2007 Champ Car Atlantic champion Raphael Matos (#6 ProWorks), three-time 2007 race-winner and Rookie of the Year Franck Perera (#11 CJ Motorsport), and popular Atlantic racers James Hinchcliffe (#9 NOCO/ProWorks) and J.R. Hildebrand (#36 Newman Wachs Racing) among many others.
“Cooper Tire is excited to have established a program that benefits children worldwide," said Pantani, Director of UHP Marketing and Business Development for Cooper Tire. “The Champ Car Atlantic race fans take home a memento of the race weekend, while Hole in The Wall Camps benefits from the proceeds collected."
Race fans will again have the chance to purchase raced-on Cooper Atlantic tires at the not-for-points “Dash In The Desert" bonus event as part of the inaugural Grand Prix Arizona on the first weekend of December.
About Hole In The Wall Camps
The Hole In The Wall Camps are for children ages 6 to 17 who have been cheated out of their childhoods because of illness to regain a sense of self, a joy of life and the feeling that for them, there are no limits. The Hole In The Wall Camps provide activities structured to allow campers to experience success no matter what their disease or disability. All of this occurs under state-of-the-art, but unobtrusive, 24-hour medical supervision. At Hole In The Wall Camps, these same children learn what they can do, not what they can’t. They experience a supportive environment with other campers to whom they can relate. They discover a world full of possibilities, not limitations. For more information, visit www.holeinthewallcamps.org.
About Cooper Tire
Cooper Tire & Rubber Company is a global company that specializes in the design, manufacture, marketing and sales of passenger car, light truck, medium truck tires and subsidiaries that specialize in motorcycle and racing tires, as well as tread rubber and related equipment for the retread industry. With headquarters in Findlay, Ohio, Cooper Tire has 63 manufacturing, sales, distribution, technical and design facilities within its family of companies located around the world. For more information, visit Cooper Tire's web site at: www.coopertire.com.