TOYOTA SPEEDWAY - "KIDS AGAINST CANCER NIGHT" EVENT REPORT

TOYOTA SPEEDWAY’S “KIDS AGAINST CANCER”
NASCAR EVENT RAISES FUNDS & AWARENESS

Irwindale, Calif. - - “What a night!” that was the universal reaction of thousands of NASCAR fans in the stands and hundreds competitors in the pits as the Speedway and Toyota celebrated “Kids Against Cancer Night” at the Speedway.  

And “celebrate” really was the operative word on an upbeat night built around backing the research in the fight against pediatric cancer that three very special medical institutions are engaged in. Children’s Hospital of Orange County, Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital, and the City of Hope, were the night’s beneficiaries and all are facilities that have earned enduring high public respect across the board.  

Toyota’s Regional Marketing Manager,  Frank Arena, who was one of the prime movers behind the event, was very pleased with the night and the funds raised, but even more pleased with the great times that a number of young cancer patients, many of whom had never visited a racetrack before, had at the Speedway.  

There was a full house at the Speedway on Saturday and Arena took note of it, “All those folks who came out to fill the stands really showed these kids and their families that NASCAR fans have the biggest hearts in racing.  The kind of special recognition and encouragement that they get from the fans is always good for them.”  

Just after qualifying and prior to opening ceremonies, many of the young cancer patients who were well enough, were given spirited rides along with members of their families around the banked half-mile Irwindale oval.  The track’s Toyota Camry Hybrid and it’s Official Pace Truck were both looking pretty “racy” out there speeding around the circuit with some very happy kids (and parents) aboard.

Over a thousand special “Kids Against Cancer” event T-shirts were produced for the occasion with 500 junior sized T’s going to the first 500 kids through the gates on Saturday night and the other half put up for sale to the fans. 

The back of the unique keepsake shirt featured a number of colorful drawings done by young cancer patients, two of whom (Jessica S. age 10 and Carla V. age 12) were on hand for the race.  Both were interviewed on the start/finish line during opening ceremonies.   Later in the evening volunteers, drivers, crewpeople, and track staff members circulated through the grandstands, suites, and pits offering the shirts which sold out very quickly.

“Motorman” Leon Kaplan from KABC 790 was named the Grand Marshall of the event.  A Sunday morning Los Angeles radio institution for more than 25 years, Kaplan weekly talks cars, boats, airplanes, and  “anything with a motor in it” from 8 to 11 a.m..   But for the weeks leading up to the “Kids” night at the Speedway he tirelessly promoted the event on-air every chance he got.  “This event really touched my heart, I can’t thank Toyota enough for asking me to be a part of it,”  the “Motorman” said.

On a night of special treats (like a whole kid’s playland in the Chalet Village area of the track: a climbing wall, face-painting, a ceramic decorating studio, along with two Toyota ‘Cup cars and other fun stuff to look at and do), a true musical treat was on site and in the air.  The Highland Pipers of the University of Riverside, a razor-sharp drum and bagpipe unit, thrilled everyone in attendance with their soul-stirring playing and crisp marching.  People simply stopped cold in their tracks when these talented musicians marched by.  Yet another “What a night” of many.

After the pipe and drum tattoo, the King Taco On-Track Autograph Party that starts off every race at Toyota Speedway had a very special four-wheeled visitor, someone who looked very much like Lightning McQueen, full Auto Club Late Model-size and talking to the kids just like in the beloved movie.  

Tim Huddleston had wrapped his real regular racer in the red and yellow of the famous filmstar car and later, in the evening raced the car in the main event.  Huddleston is another great friend of the Speedway working with the nearby Race Car Factory (who builds his race cars) to do something unique and memorable for the kids on Saturday.

Adding to the fun (and the funds, for the kids) was a super-unique racing memorabilia silent auction featuring personal items from all sorts of NASCAR ‘Cup stars.  The bidding, though silent, was brisk. Later that night a bunch Speedway fans left the premises on with some wonderful mementos of their night at the races, along with the great feeling that their winning bid was going directly to fight pediatric cancer.  Win-win.

It was also a special motorcycle night at the Speedway as the track’s annual “Harleys on the Half-Mile” ride-in brought hundreds of bikes and bikers to the track with the proceeds of that event also benefiting the hospital triad.  As the crowd of two wheelers rolled for a victory lap, a jet-powered dragster lit up and, well … everyone held their ears as well as their breath as the needle-nosed craft seemingly tried to break the sound barrier just sitting on the ground.

“We’re very proud to have been a part of this great night, Toyota and especially Frank Arena need to be commended for putting this terrific evening together,” said Toyota Speedway VP/GM Bob DeFazio.  

“This is what it’s really all about, we’re all about fun and competition, and hard racing.  But when you see the fight that kids like these are putting up every day of their young lives … It all suddenly snaps into perspective.”  

“We really hope that Toyota will consider making this an annual event, we know that our fans will support it in the future as strongly as they did this first time.  As we’ve all said many times, this one really is all about the kids.  It was a very good night for all of us too.”