Andersen Racing to Host Karting Camp Dec. 18-22 At Andersen RacePark

PALMETTO, Nov. 5, 2009: December usually brings to mind shopping sprees and holiday parties rather than camps.

Judging from the initial response by young karters, however, Dec. 18-22 is the perfect time to hone their skills at a special competition karting camp presented by Andersen Racing at Andersen RacePark in Palmetto, Fla.

The dates were set to take advantage of many schools’ winter breaks while not conflicting with Christmas. The location is already perfect, since the camp will be held at Andersen RacePark’s test track centrally located between St. Petersburg and Sarasota in the Sunshine State.

Building on the phenomenal success of Andersen Racing’s first competition karting camp this summer, the team’s instructors have developed a unique curriculum for the winter camp designed to fulfill each camper’s needs.

“Returning drivers will encounter a new set of challenging drills, while drivers new to the Andersen Racing environment will benefit from an experience that is sure to advance their skills,” said Wes Phillips, Andersen Racing’s director of competition karting.

“The camp includes both classroom and on-track sessions,” added Jonny Baker, Andersen Racing’s director of driver development. “We’ll have braking drills, practice sessions, sessions on passing with and without defensive moves, and sessions specifically covering race starts and qualifying. We’ll discuss on-board telemetry and give each participant hand-on experience with kart maintenance.”

Physical training will be covered too.

“We have a beach run and a swimming session built into the program, and we also have downtime set aside for a visit to one of the local theme parks,” added Eddie Kish, Andersen RacePark’s track manager.

All the previous instruction will be used on the final day of the camp.

“The final day we’ll have a simulated race, with morning practice sessions, qualifying, heats and a main event,” Kish added.

Transportation to and from area airports and lodging is included in the costs for young out-of-town campers.

For more information, telephone (941) 723-3900 or send an e-mail to info@andersenkarting.com. Andersen Racing’s karting team’s Web site is at andersenkarting.com, while Andersen RacePark’s Web site is at andersenracepark.com.

Andersen Racing offers programs in karting, Star Mazda and Firestone Indy Lights in an effort to provide the most comprehensive training program available in open-wheel racing. More information on the team’s open-wheel racing cars can be found at andersenracingteam.com. In addition, a Web site outlining the USF2000 series administered by Andersen Promotions can be found at usf2000.com.

Andersen Racing is sponsored by Allied Building Products Corp.

About Allied Building Products Corp.:

Allied Building Products Corp., headquartered in East Rutherford, N.J., is one of the largest roofing and siding distributors in the United States. Founded in 1950 with five employees and two trucks, today it is a $1.8 billion building material distribution company with over 3,500 employees, more than 200 branches in 30 states, well over one million square feet of office and warehouse space, and an inventory of approximately 85,000 products, from residential roofing and siding to doors, windows, waterproofing, manufactured stone, interior products and commercial roofing systems. For more information see alliedbuilding.com.

About Andersen Racing:

Andersen Racing strives to provide the best and most comprehensive training possible for future open-wheel superstars while giving its marketing partners media exposure and hospitality opportunities at some of the most prestigious events in North America. It provides a unique program utilizing multiple entries in three different platforms: karting, Star Mazda and Firestone Indy Lights. In 2008 it fielded multiple entries in 42 races in 18 states and provinces at some of the best facilities on the continent, including the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Andersen Racing's principals, brothers Dan and John Andersen, have extensive experience in series administration as well as team management. They've worked with many of today's top open-wheel stars, including several Indy 500 winners.

Andersen Racing is sponsored by Allied Building Products Corp. and Lafarge North America. It is the official development team of Rahal Letterman Racing. The team is headquartered at Andersen RacePark, an 18-acre facility in Palmetto, Fla. that includes a 1-mile road course test track. For more information see andersenracingteam.com, andersenracepark.com and andersenkarting.com.