FEMALE DRIVERS TRAIN IN PHOENIX WITH LYN ST. JAMES

LSJ FOUNDATION DRIVER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: 

Michelle Marquis, 317-244-9790 or 602-952-9243; memarquis42@aol.com Judy
Stropus, 203-438-0501; cell 203-243-2438; jstropus@earthlink.net

FEMALE DRIVERS PREPARE TO SUCCEED

PHOENIX, Ariz. (Nov. 29, 2006) - On Dec. 9-12, 16 young and unique
female race-car drivers will attend the 13th annual LSJ Foundation
Driver Development Program in the Phoenix area, including the Bondurant
High Performance Driving School at Firebird Raceway, for four days of
intensive physical, psychological, media and business training to help
prepare them for a future in professional motorsports.

Past graduates of this program, founded in 1994 by Lyn St. James, former
Indy 500 competitor and motivational speaker, include Danica Patrick,
Erin Crocker, Melanie Troxel, Allison Duncan, Sarah Fisher, among others
who have gone on to succeed in their respective auto-racing categories.

The drivers in this year's class come from 13 states (Arizona, Indiana,
North Carolina, Illinois, New Mexico, Idaho, Texas, New York, Ohio,
Maryland, California, Washington and Florida), along with local
15-year-old Cassie Gannis of Phoenix. Their resumes include competing in
go-karts, mini sprints, jr. dragsters, quarter midgets, winged sprint
cars, sports cars, and bandeleros.

The program begins Dec. 9 and 10 at Athlete's Performance in Tempe,
Ariz., where the drivers will work on physical fitness and mental
preparedness under the guidance of Dr. Jacques Dallaire of Human
Performance International. On Dec. 11, they will head to the Bondurant
School in Chandler, Ariz., for media training, under the direction of
media specialist Judy Stropus, and a class discussing the business side
of racing with financial expert Linda Conti of A.G. Edwards in
Indianapolis. They will then work with Alan Rudolph at the Bondurant
Karting program in the afternoon. On Dec. 12, Mike Loescher of the
Finish Line Racing School in New Smyrna Beach, Fla., will lead them
through a chassis set-up class.

"There's no school to learn how to become professional race-car
drivers,"

says St. James, whose LSJ Foundation has promoted women in racing since
1994. "There are no training camps, no scouts, no advance curriculum in
colleges and universities that provide the expertise and resources to
develop the tools and skills in whatever type of racing is available
based on their geography, financial capability, age, and sometimes
gender.

"There are schools and programs available to learn to drive a race car
and even to compete," St. James continues, "but what do you do next?
Even if you've won championships, set track records, and earned a
bookcase full of trophies and awards, more often than not, that's as far
as a driver gets.

Team owners don't know they exist, and other than family and friends and
some local fans, as well as other important people like the media and
sponsors, also don't know they exist. And if they are given an
opportunity to perform at a higher level, they often are not prepared
for the world they so desperately seek."

St. James made a decision in 1994 to try to change that. Her goal was to
provide information and expertise to up-and-coming racers, in particular
female racers, by pooling together experts in such fields as physical
fitness, mental preparation, nutrition, media training and the business
of racing. She also strove to provide technical instruction, as well as
a variety of on-track activities, in an effort to provide the necessary
tools to become successful in the professional ranks of the sport.

"This program isn't about going fast," adds St. James. "It's about
learning what to do after you've learned to be the best on the race
track in whatever type of race car you race. It's about being prepared
to become a professional champion. It's all about being prepared to
succeed!"

Information on this program is available by going to www.lynstjames.com
<outbind://142/www.lynstjames.com>  <http://www.lynstjames.com/
> > or calling 602-952-9243.

***

 
Anna Hackett
MarCom Manager
ahackett@firebirdraceway.com
 
Firebird International Raceway
20000 S. Maricopa Road, Box 5023
Chandler, AZ 85226
602.268.0200 office  
602.323.2011 direct
480.242.9669 cell
520.796.0531 fax
"A Proud Member of the Gila River Indian Community"