McHenry, Ill. (June 30, 2010) NASCAR Nationwide Series Raybestos® Rookies Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Colin Braun and Brian Scott recently participated in the Law Enforcement Driver Training Program along with members of the Matthews (N.C.) and Concord (N.C.) Police Departments.
2010 Raybestos Rookie Contender Logo
Techniques in Precision, Evasive, Serpentine and Off-Set Lane Maneuvers were administered by officers from the Matthews and Concord Police Departments. Sgt. David Ruby from the Matthews Police Department rode with each driver as they completed each of the designated courses and was assisted by Sgt. Alan Lee (Concord Police Department) and Officer Don Belin (Matthews Police Department) in grading each driver once they completed a specific skills challenge. Cars for the event were provided by the Matthews Police Department and were outfitted with the Raybestos® Exclusive Police Braking System featuring Advance Technology Police disc brake pads, rotors and loaded calipers.
“All drivers had a great time and were able to pass the courses without a problem,” Sgt. Ruby said. “These drivers were really great guys that came out to have fun but showed they can pass a driver program. All three drivers said they have a new outlook on the way officers are trained and are able to operate the police vehicles in a safe way.”
Stenhouse, driver of the No. 6 CitiFinancial Ford, enjoyed the experience and was happy to edge out his fellow rookies on a few of the courses.
“I had a blast doing the police driver training,” Stenhouse Jr. said. “I have so much respect for what they do for our community and to be able to learn from them was awesome. I think I beat the other rookies in a couple of the courses so that was fun. Overall, it was a great experience and I am glad to be a part of the Raybestos® Rookie of the Year program.”
Each driver drove a police car through courses that academy cadets must complete to become certified police officers, and focused on controlling acceleration and deceleration, proper braking techniques and maneuvering through a short course performing right and left-side turns.
Braun, driver of the No. 16 Con-way Freight Ford, added it was interesting to see and experience first-hand the training an office undergoes.
“It was cool to see what those guys have to do to get certified and then actually get to do it ourselves,” Braun said. “We definitely had a good time with the training and the officers we got to work with were really a lot of fun.”
The event was filmed as a feature by ESPN and aired June 26 during the network’s coverage of the New England 200 from New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
“The Matthews Police Department and Concord Police Department were fortunate to have participated in this program with ESPN and Raybestos brakes,” Sgt. Ruby said. “For two smaller departments to be recognized on a nationwide television program showing the type of training we as officers have to go through is a big deal.”
Raybestos® brand brake and chassis parts are produced by affiliated companies in Affinia’s Global Brake and Chassis Group, the leading manufacturer of braking systems and chassis parts in the transportation industry. The brake line includes everything from brake drums to rotors, pads, shoes and hydraulic parts, while the chassis line features tie rods, ball points, idler arms and sway bar links. Raybestos brand braking and chassis systems are also the only systems used by NASCAR’s Joe Gibbs Racing in competition. For more information about Raybestos brakes, visit Raybestos.com. For more information on Raybestos Chassis visit RaybestosChassis.com
Affinia Group Inc. is an innovative global leader in the design, manufacture, distribution and marketing of industrial grade products and services, including extensive offerings of aftermarket parts for automotive and heavy-duty vehicles. With more than $1.8 billion in annual revenue, Affinia has operations in North and South America, Europe, Asia and India. For more information, visit www.affiniagroup.com.
Alcon Components USA is a wholly owned subsidiary of Alcon Components Limited, the UK based manufacturer of premium brake and clutch products. Alcon systems are engineered and designed for the most rigorous demands and are widely used throughout the world of motorsport, from Formula One to IndyCar to NASCAR, as well as in various high performance road vehicles including Jaguar, Land Rover and Bentley. For more information, visit www.alconusa.com.
*Affinia Group Inc.’s affiliated companies include Brake Parts Inc. WIX Filtration Corp LLC, Affinia Products Corp LLC and other high quality manufacturers of the Affinia family of brands.
- Camp & Associates, Inc., for Raybestos, Press Release
