Friday
Ed Carpenter, Sarah Fisher Launch “Laps For Literacy” Reading Campaign
Press Release
“I am very excited to finally start our ‘Laps for Literacy’ program,” said a very enthusiastic Carpenter. “We have all been working very hard to put this together, and I especially have to thank my wife, Heather, for heading this program. I can’t wait to meet all of the kids and talk to them about our sport and the importance of reading and education in everyday life. Leading into the Centennial 500, I can’t think of a better way for our team to serve the kids and schools of our state.”
In conjunction with the 100th Anniversary of the Indianapolis 500, the duo from SFR, throughout the campaign, will be visiting 100 classrooms across the state of Indiana. ‘Laps for Literacy’ will officially get underway this morning at St. Jude Catholic School on the Southside of Indianapolis.
“I’m really honored to have the support from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation for our first annual ‘Laps for Literacy’ program,” said Fisher, who announced her pregnancy just last week. “Developed by Heather Carpenter, it shows the strength in Ed’s family and speaks highly in regards to the type of people they truly are. It will be a tremendous opportunity to share our sport with kids and schools which otherwise might not get to see Indy, and an even better opportunity to help them with some of their needs.”
The school visits will occur during a seven-week period, beginning today. For more information on the ‘Laps for Literacy’ campaign or to view a detailed schedule of school visits, please visit www.sarahfisherracing.com/laps.
About Ed Carpenter:
The 2011 IZOD IndyCar ® Series season marks Ed Carpenter’s eighth year in the series after making his debut at Chicagoland Speedway in 2003.Growing up with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in his backyard with Laura and step-father Tony George as parents, Carpenter was no stranger to racing. Carpenter began racing at eight years old and balanced racing with education throughout much of his career. Earning a Bachelors of Science degree in marketing from Butler University in 2003, Carpenter graduated from Butler just weeks before he won the Freedom 100 Indy Pro Series race at the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
With a college degree under his belt, Carpenter is now able to focus on several other activities when he’s not racing. Away from the track, Carpenter follows professional football and is an Indianapolis Colts season ticket holder and an enthusiastic Butler Bulldogs supporter. The 29-year old is also an avid cyclist, water skier and enjoys working out. Before he became a regular in the IZOD IndyCar Series, Carpenter was a short track racer in the United States Auto Club (USAC) midget, sprint and Silver Crown Series. 2011 marks his first season with Sarah Fisher Racing (SFR) and Dollar General. Carpenter resides in Indianapolis with his wife, Heather, his daughter Makenna, son Ryder, and their two dogs Bentley (Rottweiler) and Roscoe (Chihuahua).
About Sarah Fisher:
At just 30 years old, Sarah Fisher has already competed in nine Indianapolis 500′s, been voted “Most Popular Driver” four times in two separate Series (IndyCar and NASCAR), been awarded “Indy’s Best & Brightest Leaders Under 40″ and enters her fourth season as a team owner in 2011. Fisher is the first woman to qualify fastest for a major North American open-wheel event, the fastest woman to ever qualify for the Indy 500 and is the youngest woman to compete at the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Fisher has been a guest or profiled on a variety of national platforms such as, LIVE! With Regis & Kelly, The Tonight Show, The Today Show, Glamour, People and Forbes Magazine, to name a few. In 2008, she formed her own race team: Sarah Fisher Racing (SFR), and made her first start as a team owner in the IZOD IndyCar Series’ Indy 500. In May 2009, Fisher made her eighth start in the Indy 500, marking the most starts for a woman in the 93-year history of the race. However, Fisher is taking a different seat this year with her Indianapolis-based team as she migrates from the driver’s seat to the executive seat of team owner. For more information on Sarah Fisher, please visit http://www.sarahfisher.com.
About Sarah Fisher Racing (SFR):
Sarah Fisher Racing (SFR) is an auto racing team that competes in the IZOD IndyCar® Series, founded by IZOD IndyCar Series veteran racer, Sarah Fisher. Fisher announced plans to become the IZOD IndyCar Series first female owner/driver and the youngest team owner on February 27, 2008, at Homestead-Miami Speedway (HMS). The team competed in three events in 2008, grew 100 percent in 2009 to six races and competed in fifteen total events in 2010, during the team’s first season initiating a two-car effort. With backing from Dollar General, SFR has announced plans to run an abbreviated schedule in 2011 competing in nine events, with Ed Carpenter the No. 67. For more information, please visit Sarah Fisher Racing online at www.sarahfisherracing.com.
About Laps for Literacy:
IZOD IndyCar Series Driver, Ed Carpenter, and team owner of Sarah Fisher Racing, Sarah Fisher, will be touring schools throughout Indiana leading up to the Indianapolis 500 this May. The duo will be reading books to students in more than 100 classrooms, in support of Dollar General Literacy Foundation. The number of classrooms honors the 100th Anniversary of the Indianapolis 500 this May. The duo hopes to instill Indiana’s students the importance of literacy throughout life.
About Dollar General Literacy Foundation:
The National Literacy Directory launched in 2010 with funding from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation. It is designed to help individuals find local literacy and education programs and GED testing centers in their areas. The National Literacy Directory contains over 8,000 educational agencies located across the United States. Another component of the directory is a toll-free number for individuals to call for a local program referral. The National Literacy Directory is made possible by generous support of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation It is a joint effort of the Foundation, the National Center for Family Literacy and ProLiteracy. Dollar General has a long history of supporting literacy efforts and assisting undereducated adults, their families and communities.
- Sarah Fisher Racing Press Release
Article Tags: Dollar General Literacy Foundation, Ed Carpenter, Heather Carpenter, Indianapolis 500, Laps for Literacy, Sarah Fisher, Sarah Fisher Racing, SFR, St. Jude Catholic School
