Baca to host 'Jerry's Kids' in Seattle
Baca to host cheering section of 'Jerry's Kids' in Seattle SEATTLE (July 19) -- Top Fuel racer David Baca and his sponsor, Mach 1 Air Services, have invited the entire population of a Seattle-area Muscular Dystrophy summer camp to this weekend's 19th annual Schuck's Nationals at Pacific Raceways. The idea was the brainstorm of Baca, a 48-year-old from Brentwood, Calif., and Mach 1 Air Services CEO Mike Entzminger, who saw first-hand the positive effects a day at the races had on another young Muscular Dystrophy patient earlier this year in Chicago. "I attended the Chicago race and David had invited a young girl named Alex Dzimitowicz out as his guest," Entzminger said. "She had such a great time and became David's biggest fan and we were all so touched by this little girl's enthusiasm for life and our race team that I wanted to do something more." Entzminger and Baca quickly put the wheels in motion for another day at the races for some additional budding race fans affected by Muscular Dystrophy and the plans soon encompassed inviting a large group of "Jerry's Kids" attending a Seattle summer camp. "I've always tried to use my race team in special ways so we can give something back to all these great communities that support drag racing and our sponsors," Baca said. "We've been doing something at every race this summer and this is just a continuation of that. With Mach 1's support, we decided this time we weren't going to limit our invites so we asked the whole camp of kids to come out as our VIP guests." Already this summer, Baca has helped raise awareness for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Research Foundation, the Mark Hindy Charitable Foundation benefiting the children of the 9/11 disaster, Alex's Lemonade Stand for pediatric cancer research, and the Muscular Dystrophy Association - Chicago Chapter. Previously, Baca teamed with NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly and his Hunter's Hope Foundation. "We're coming to Seattle to win this race," Baca said. "That's what we do. And the way we've been running this summer, I wouldn't be surprised if we took home the trophy. That's how much confidence I have in this race team right now. "What's interesting is that ever since we started having our special guests out to each of these races, we've been going rounds and finding some success. Maybe there's some good karma coming our way. I do know how much my crew guys respond to the excitement a little kid that's been through some tough times brings when they come into our pits and get so excited about what we're doing. It lifts all of us to a higher level." The Seattle group of Jerry's Kids will join Baca Friday for the first two qualifying sessions of the weekend, scheduled for 3:30 and 6 p.m. ESPN2 will provide five hours of racing coverage including a two-hour qualifying show from 8-10 p.m. (ET) Saturday, and a three-hour eliminations show from 8-11 p.m. (ET) Sunday. --30-- ________________________________________________________________________ Check out AOL.com today. Breaking news, video search, pictures, email and IM. All on demand. Always Free.