Team Offers Additional Incentive for Donations
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (July 9, 2010) – Bryan Herta Autosport is reaching out to fans, supporters and the racing community to help raise awareness and donations for the 14th annual Kroger Race for Riley presented by Cheerios. Hosted by NASCAR and IZOD IndyCar Series driver John Andretti and Race for Riley co-founder and popular radio personality Dave “The King” Wilson, the charity karting event benefits the Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis and will be held July 21 at New Castle Motorsports Park owned by former IndyCar Series driver Mark Dismore and his wife, Donna. The race is part of the activities leading up to the Brickyard 400 on Sunday, July 25.
Bryan Herta Autosport
BHA team co-owner Steve Newey has been an avid supporter of the fundraiser, which has amassed over $1.4M in donations since the inaugural event in 1997. Kart racing, pro series kart competition, a media go-kart race, the opportunity to race against Andretti and meet some of racing’s top drivers are some of the day’s highlights in addition to a live broadcast of the nationally syndicated The Bob and Tom Show.
Flying the colors for BHA on July 21 will be Steve’s son Brandon Newey, 17, of Indianapolis, Ind., who is in the process of transitioning from karts to cars as he pursues his dream of a professional racing career. Newey attended the 2009 Skip Barber Racing School Karting Scholarship Shootout and currently competes as a rookie in the BFGoodrich/Skip Barber National Presented by Mazda.
“I have been participating in the Race for Riley since 1997,” said the younger Newey who will take part in TaG Senior Class activities. “My dad always donates and supports Riley because it is such a good cause. I love running the race and working to raise donations. It is a really good event and there is a lot to do for the fans. A variety of race cars will be on display and a lot of drivers like Tony Stewart and Vitor Meira come out to show their support. There is a rental kart race where people can donate $50.00 and try to make it through the heats to the final race to compete against John Andretti. My brothers Justin and Ryan will race in that; it is a fun time.”
As an additional incentive for donations, BHA is offering a William Rast racing t-shirt and hat for every $50 donation received at the team’s headquarters in Indianapolis. William Rast, the ‘New America’ denim culture brand founded by Trace Ayala and Justin Timberlake, is primary sponsor of the #29 Firestone Indy Lights entry piloted by Sebastian Saavedra. Checks should be made payable to Riley Children’s Foundation and sent to BHA at 6815 Guion Road, Suite 100, Indianapolis, IN 46268.
“Race for Riley is a great event and we try to raise as much as possible to help support the tremendous work at Riley Hospital for Children,” said Steve Newey. “We want to reach as many people as we can to not only donate to the Riley Hospital but also encourage the fans to come out and enjoy a fun day at New Castle Motorsports Park to benefit a great cause.”
In addition to race activities, a “progressive dinner” will be held on July 20. Additional information on all events can be found at www.race4riley.com.
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Media Note: Riley Hospital children will join John Andretti on July 20 at Andretti Autosport for a tour of the race shop, show car photo opportunity, lunch and a Q&A session. Media are invited to attend. Please contact Kimberley Jackson at Andretti Autosport – 317-872-2700 ext. 264 or Kimberley.Jackson@andrettiautosport.com.
About Riley Hospital for Children:
Riley Hospital for Children is Indiana’s only comprehensive children’s hospital, with pediatric specialists in every field of medicine and surgery. Riley Hospital for Children offers one of the nation’s largest and most comprehensive outpatient care facilities for children, the world’s largest pediatric sleep disorders center and one of the nation’s three largest autism treatment center. Riley Hospital for Children also offers Indiana’s only pediatric burn center, the most comprehensive neonatal unit, including the state’s most experienced ECMO program, Indiana’s largest and most comprehensive pediatric intensive care unit and is part of the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center – the only National Care Institute-designated patient care center in Indiana. Parents Magazine ranked Riley Hospital for Children 16th overall across the country and recognized the Riley neonatal and pulmonary care departments in the top 5 among select specialties. In addition, eight specialty programs, namely Urology, Respiratory Disorders, Diabetes & Endocrine Disorders, Neonatal Care, Digestive Disorders, Heart and Heart Surgery, Neurology & Neurosurgery, and Cancer, ranked among the top 30 children’s hospitals in the nation by U.S. News & World Report’s 2010-2011 edition of America’s Best Children’s Hospitals. All of the Indiana pediatricians listed in America’s Top Doctors, a national consumer publication, have Riley-based practices. Riley was recognized as the nation’s best performer in outpatient satisfaction by Arbor Associates.
About Bryan Herta Autosport:
Founded by veteran driver Bryan Herta and noted race engineer and team manager Steve Newey, Bryan Herta Autosport (BHA) debuted in Firestone Indy Lights competition in 2009 claiming one win, five top-five and 15 top-10 results. Herta, an accomplished racer, has won in every series he has contested including the IZOD IndyCar Series, American Le Mans Series and CART in addition to garnering Skip Barber Formula Ford, Barber Saab and Firestone Indy Lights championship titles. Amongst his career highlights are a third-place finish in the 2005 Indianapolis 500 and victory in the LMP2 class at the Twelve Hours of Sebring in 2007. Newey’s racing career spans over 20 years and includes design and race engineering positions in Formula One as well as team manager/technical director roles in IndyCar, American Le Mans and Grand-Am competition. Among his highlights are the 1992 Champ Car World Series title as the race engineer for Bobby Rahal, the 2006 Grand-Am Daytona Prototype Driver’s Championship with Krohn Racing’s Jorg Bergmeister and victory in the Twelve Hours of Sebring in 2007 as race engineer for Andretti Green Racing and drivers Bryan Herta, Dario Franchitti and Tony Kanaan. He was also instrumental in assembling the Patrick Racing Firestone test team and served as team manager for drivers Scott Pruett and Adrian Fernandez. For more information, visit www.bryanhertaautosport.com.
- Bryan Herta Autosport, Press Release
