American Honda supports RRDC Evening with Fittipaldi in Long Beach
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Judy Stropus, 203-438-0501; cell 203-243-2438; jstropus@earthlink.net American Honda Supports RRDC Evening with Emerson Fittipaldi in Long Beach HILLIARD, Ohio (March 23, 2017) - American Honda Motor Co., Inc., will support the RRDC Evening with Emerson Fittipaldi Presented by Firestone by hosting the cocktail reception on April 6 at the Road Racing Drivers Club’s ninth annual West Coast banquet. Honda returns for the eighth consecutive year to support the legends dinner, which will be held prior to the 43rd Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach (Calif.). “American Honda is once again pleased to support the Road Racing Drivers Club in its salute to Emerson Fittipaldi,” said John Mendel, Executive Vice President, Automobile Division, American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “His outstanding career in both Formula One and Indy car competition, including two world championships and a pair of Indy 500 triumphs, demonstrated his talent and versatility throughout the 1970s, '80s and into the '90s. He remains a true legend in our sport.” “The members of the RRDC are honored to have American Honda return for the eighth straight year to host the reception at this year’s RRDC Evening with Emerson Fittipaldi,” said RRDC President Bobby Rahal. “Honda’s presence and record in North American racing competition is remarkable, and we’re proud to have Honda and Honda Performance Development join us in celebrating Emerson's unparalleled contributions to the sport.” Fittipaldi, born in Brazil, made his racing debut for Team Lotus at the 1970 British Grand Prix. He went on to win the 1972 World Drivers' Championship at the age of 25, which at the time made him the youngest F1 world champion. He held that record for 33 years. After moving to McLaren in 1974 he won the title once again. He soon left the championship-winning McLaren team to drive a brand new – and totally unproven – F1 car, built in his homeland of Brazil by his brother Wilson and funded by the Brazilian sugar and ethanol giant, Copersucar. The project proved challenging and, in 1980, he reluctantly announced his retirement from racing at age 33. Four years later he made a comeback at the 1984 IMSA Miami Grand Prix. A move into IndyCar racing followed, and by the end of 1984 he was driving for Ueal Eugene "Pat" Patrick, winning the 1989 Indy 500 in a dramatic duel with Al Unser Jr., and claiming the IndyCar championship. Then it was on to Marlboro Team Penske, with whom he won another Indy 500 at the age of 46, making him the third oldest 500 winner ever, behind only Al and Bobby Unser. The dinner’s proceeds will help support the RRDC’s young driver initiatives, including its groundbreaking www.SAFEisFAST.com presented by Honda program and the Team USA Scholarship, which the RRDC has backed since 1997. Previous banquets have honored Dan Gurney, Parnelli Jones, Roger Penske, Jim Hall, Brian Redman, Mario Andretti, Bobby Unser and George Follmer, drawing fans and luminaries from all forms of motorsports. The RRDC Evening with Emerson Fittipaldi Presented by Firestone will be held on Thursday, April 6, at the Hilton Hotel, 701 West Ocean Blvd, Long Beach, Calif., with cocktails at 6 p.m., and dinner at 7:15 p.m. Tickets are $200 per person ($175 for RRDC members) if purchased in advance, and space is limited. This event is expected to sell out quickly. All are welcome and early reservations are recommended. Please contact Jeremy Shaw at rrdc2@cox.net. About American Honda: American Honda employs nearly 30,000 associates in its sales, R&D and manufacturing operations with total capital investment in North America exceeding $17.2 billion, including $3.8 billion invested in the last five years. Honda operates 17 major manufacturing facilities in North America producing a wide range of automobiles, engines, transmissions, all-terrain vehicles, power equipment products and the HondaJet advanced light jet. In 2016, more than 68 percent of the Honda and Acura automobiles sold in the U.S. were manufactured in America. Honda also operates 16 major R&D centers in the U.S. with the capacity to fully design, develop and engineer many of the products Honda produces in North America. The company’s twelfth and newest U.S. auto assembly plant, the Performance Manufacturing Center, in Marysville, Ohio, produces the Acura NSX, the only supercar produced in America. About Honda Performance Development: HPD was founded in 1993 to spearhead Honda’s entry into Indy car racing. No other manufacturer has matched Honda’s success in Indy cars, which includes 220 race victories, 15 drivers’ championships, six competitive manufacturers’ championships and 11 Indianapolis 500 victories since 2004, including the historic 100th running of the ‘500’ last May, won by Alexander Rossi. HPD and Honda have a history of success in the classic endurance sports car races, including a pair of LMP2 wins and a privateer LMP1 victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans since 2010; as well as multiple American Le Mans Series championships and overall victories last year at the Rolex 24 and 12 Hours of Sebring. HPD’s Honda engines have recorded 80 race wins at endurance sports car races around the world, including victories last year at Daytona, Sebring, Laguna Seca and Road Atlanta enroute to the 2016 North American Endurance Championship. HPD offers a complete line of race engines for cars from grass roots to pinnacle; for professional, amateur and entry-level racers. For more information about HPD and the company’s racing product lines, please visit http://hpd.honda.com. 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’s membership includes leading industry professionals, race officials and motorsports journalists, in addition to prominent racing names. In 2011, the RRDC launched a free on-line training seminar – SAFEisFAST.com – featuring more than 30 RRDC members and other industry experts in high-quality videos covering subjects from physical and mental preparation to driving techniques, driver safety to car setup and sponsorship. The videos are updated regularly. Each week, a professional from the world of motor racing answers readers’ questions on the site in a feature called “Ask a Pro.” Bobby Rahal is President, John Fergus is Vice President/Treasurer, and Tom Davey is Secretary. The RRDC presents three annual awards: the Phil Hill Award, the Mark Donohue Award, and the Bob Akin Award, and supports the Team USA Scholarship, which has been assisting young Americans in the early stages of their careers since 1990. The RRDC also honors icons of the sport at its annual dinner at the Long Beach (Calif.) Grand Prix. Honorees have been Dan Gurney, Parnelli Jones, Roger Penske, Jim Hall, Brian Redman, Mario Andretti, Bobby Unser and George Follmer. Membership in the RRDC is by invitation only. For more information, visit www.rrdc.org. ***
 |