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Posted by Zeos on 2/25/2006, 10:53 am, in reply to "Race2Safety Showdown" By Tammy Griffin CONCORD - Three virtual race simulators were the focus of attention Tuesday night at Quaker Steak & Lube off Speedway Boulevard. Nearly every table and booth in the restaurant was filled as people prepared to watch 33 contestants in 24 states and one in Germany race 200 miles for the finish line to help raise money for a worthy cause. “We’re here to raise money for Ernie Irvan’s head injury foundations,” said Greg Davis, president of Performance Productions and creator of Ultimate Reality Racer. Irvan is a former NASCAR driver who suffered several traumatic brain injuries, including two at the same race track; one in 1994 and again in 1999. His survival lead him to found the Race2Safety Foundation to promote head injury awareness and prevention. Irvan, NASCAR drivers Randy LaJoie, Jerry Nadeau, Jeremy Mayfield and David Reutimann are among those participating in the race. Each participant paid a $100 fee to be part of the race and all proceeds will go to the Race2Safety Foundation. At the Quaker Steak & Lube, Irvan’s simulator was between Nadeau’s and LaJoie’s. Those participating in the event also qualify for a chance to be on Ultimate Reality Racer, a reality television show seeking to find undiscovered racing talent. “It gives me a chance to work with Ernie, one of my heroes,” Davis said. “I can’t think of a better way to support him and announce the Ultimate Reality Racer program to the world.” The Race2Safety Foundation began about a year ago and is located in Mooresville. “It became official in August,” said Chipp Jackson, executive director of Race2Safety. “One thing we want to do is develop a safer bike or sports helmet for children. “If every kid under the age of 15 wore a helmet, you’d save one life a day and prevent one brain injury every four minutes. If you save one life, it’s worth it.” The virtual race was run on the Michigan International Speedway and Irvan confessed to practicing before settling into the driver’s seat Tuesday night. “This type of racing is very realistic with one important difference,” Irvan said. “You don’t get hurt if you crash.” Irvan said there is no cure for those who suffer a traumatic brain injury but there are preventative measures that can be taken. Stacey Lundy of Concord said she made plans to attend the event when she heard about it a few weeks ago. “I’m here to support the foundation because I believe it’s a great cause,” Lundy said. “I hope Ernie wins.” Dee Dee Swing of Concord and Angela Broome of Charlotte said they, too, came out to support the foundation and root for Irvan. “I work in a hospital and see that kind of injury all the time,” Swing said. Broome said anything that can be done to prevent injury to children is a worthwhile cause. “One person in the United States suffers a traumatic brain injury every 21 seconds,” Irvan said. “I want to help people avoid what I have gone through.” When it was all over, Denny Hamlin, who was driving the No. 29 car, won the race and Davis summed up the night. “It was an awesome race,” Davis said. “He made a last lap pass to win the race. It was great.” • Contact Tammy Griffin at tgriffin@independenttribune.com or 704-789-9134. Link: GREG KAHN / INDEPENDENT TRIBUNE
Virtual racing draws crowd
tgriffin@independenttribune.com
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
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