Industry experts lead second RRDC/FIA Young Drivers Symposium in Long Beach

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Judy Stropus, 203-438-0501; cell 203-243-2438;
jstropus@earthlink.net

INDUSTRY EXPERTS LEAD SECOND RRDC/FIA YOUNG DRIVERS SYMPOSIUM IN LONG BEACH
 
HILLIARD, Ohio (March 30, 2010) - The list of panelists that will conduct
the second RRDC/FIA Young Drivers Symposium in Long Beach, Calif., has been
released. It includes a lineup of the sport's and industry's most
distinguished experts.
 
The workshop, supported by a grant from the FIA Motor Sport Safety
Development Fund, will take place on Saturday, April 17, at the Hilton
Hotel, 701 West Ocean Blvd., in Long Beach, Calif., from 8:30 a.m.-12:30
p.m., during the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. It is open to drivers from
all motorsports disciplines and there is no cost to attend. However,
registration is required and space is limited. Participants are asked to
register early at www.rrdc.org. All workshop materials, including a
comprehensive workbook, will be provided.
 
Once again, Bobby Rahal, Indy 500 winner and president of the RRDC, will
lead the "Safe is Fast" workshop - with S.A.F.E. an acronym for Skilled,
Assured, Fit, Empowered. He will be joined by the following panelists:
 
Townsend Bell, Sponsorship Coaching, Beverly Hills, Calif. -
SPONSORSHIP/BRANDING
The 2001 Indy Lights champion and fourth-place finisher in last year's
Indianapolis 500 has raised over $10 million in motorsports sponsorship. His
proven track record includes sponsor relationships with companies such as
Rock and Republic, Toshiba, Toyota, Maxim, Herbalife and Intel. He has used
his talents and experience to help young drivers maximize their personal
sponsorship portfolios.
 
Jacques Dallaire, Ph.D., Founder and President, Performance Prime, Concord,
N.C. - MENTAL PREPARATION
For over 30 years, Dr. Dallaire has helped thousands to improve their mental
skills and achieve their performance goals. More than 650 racers from 40
countries - including Helio Castroneves and Ron Fellows - have benefited
from Dr. Dallaire's Performance Enhancement process that helps to develop a
broad set of mental skills to perform in challenging situations and
underlies championship performance.
 
Jim Leo, C.S.C.S., President, PitFit Training, Inc., Indianapolis - PHYSICAL
FITNESS 
Leo is renowned as one of auto racing's premier fitness trainers. With a
client list that includes Scott Dixon, Kasey Kahne, Dario Franchitti, and
rising stars such as J.R. Hildebrand, PitFit Training has grown into a
worldwide operation. In 1993 Leo designed a training program and
cutting-edge fitness center for Penske Racing. He founded PitFit Training in
1997, offering driver training, pit crew performance training and sports
nutrition programs.
 
Stephen Olvey, M.D., Associate Professor/Vice Chairman for Clinical Affairs
Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami School of Medicine -
SAFETY 
Dr. Olvey has been a pioneer in improving driver safety and safety measures
for over 30 years. He was Director of Medical Affairs for IndyCar/CART
(Championship Auto Racing Teams) and also served as the Medical Director for
USAC (United States Auto Club). For over a decade, Dr. Olvey has been
co-director (alongside Emerson Fittipaldi) of the International Motorsports
and Vehicular Injury Research Center (IMVIRC). He is a Founding Fellow of
the FIA Institute for Motorsports Safety and former Chairman and Founding
Member of the International Council of Motorsports Sciences (ICMS). He is an
author of numerous medical publications. 
 
Michael Zimicki, President, Sliderule Motorsport Inc., Bondville,  Vt. -
INTEGRATED DRIVING 
Zimicki has been providing the tools for success on and off the race track
to young drivers for over 25 years. An accomplished racer in his own right,
claiming the 1981 Skip Barber Formula Ford championship and serving as both
a lead instructor and head test driver at the Skip Barber Racing School for
over a decade, he founded Sliderule Motorsport in 1991. Combining driver
coaching, data analysis and engineering to maximize a driver's and team¹s
success, his roster of protégés has included Graham Rahal, Danica Patrick,
Jon Fogarty, Ryan Hunter-Reay and 2009 Cooper Tires Atlantic Series champion
John Edwards. 

The goal of this series of free RRDC/FIA workshops is to help young drivers
raise their awareness of safety by teaching them to effectively manage their
racing vehicles and themselves in all aspects of their careers.
 
"It's great to have the same panel of industry experts return that we had in
the first RRDC/FIA Young Drivers Symposium we held at the Performance Racing
Industry (PRI) show last December," said Rahal. "Their presentations were
unparalleled in this business, and the participants were very vocal about
how much they learned during the four-hour workshop. We are pleased to have
the same group join us again. Their input is invaluable to anyone trying to
achieve success in the business of auto racing."
 
About the RRDC:
The Road Racing Drivers Club was formed in 1952 as a way to give champion
drivers a say in their sport, particularly in the areas of safety, and has
evolved to serve the future of road racing by mentoring new drivers on both
amateur and professional levels. The Club now has more than 150 active
members, including leading industry professionals, race officials and
motorsports journalists, in addition to prominent racing names.
 
President Bobby Rahal is the 1986 Indy 500 winner and is co-owner, with
David Letterman, of the 2004 Indianapolis 500 winning Rahal Letterman Racing
team. Six-time SCCA National champion John Fergus is the Club's Vice
President/Treasurer, and five-time SCCA National champion Tom Davey is the
Secretary. 
 
In addition to RRDC members lending their expertise to up-and-coming
drivers, the Club presents three annual awards: the Phil Hill Award for
rendering outstanding service to road racing; the Mark Donohue Award for
personal spirit and performance at the SCCA National Championship Runoffs;
and the Bob Akin Award for speed with style, passion, sportsmanship and
contribution to motorsports.
 
The RRDC also supports the Team USA Scholarship, which has been assisting
young Americans in the early stages of their careers since 1990.
 
Membership in the RRDC is by invitation only. Additional information on the
organization may be found at www.rrdc.org .
 
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