Tony
Hunt Celebrity Race Event ready for Sunday!
– By Bobby Gerould – Fair Oaks, CA. March 1, 2006. …The fourth annual
Tony Hunt Celebrity Kart Classic will get the green flag this Sunday, March 5,
2006 at the RPM Indoor Karting Complex in Sacramento, CA. The charity fundraiser
for the Make-A-Wish Foundation will feature an impressive list of drivers
competing for bragging rights on pre-selected teams of four.
Among the headliners are Jerry Nadeau, Jason Meyers, and young stars Robert Ballou, and Kody Swanson. According to NASCAR.com, Nadeau started on the path to professional racing when his father put him in a kart at age four. He went on to win 10 karting championships between 1984-90. Nadeau is a former NASCAR Cup racer that has battled back from serious injuries suffered in May 2003 at Richmond (VA.) International Raceway.
Meyers will visit the Sacramento area after a successful debut on the National Sprint Tour this past weekend in Tulare, CA. The Clovis, CA. pilot is widely considered one of the best racer’s in the USA having been named to the All-HammerDown! Team for three straight seasons.
Ballou and Swanson are 16 and 17 years old respectively. Their high-school status and ability to compete against the best in the world in their sprint car divisions make them fan favorites at each track the visit. Swanson will defend his championship in the USAC Western Sprint Car Series in 2006. Ballou was the 2005 Civil War Series Rookie of the Year. He also became the youngest feature event winner in the history of the Golden State Challenge last year when he took home the checkered flag at Antioch.
Drivers confirmed for the event include host Hunt, a four-time USAC champion, Greg DeCaires, Jimmy Sills, Darrin Bolton, Jenna Frazier, Audra Sasselli, Brad Galedrige, and stock car veterans Jason Fensler, and Jim Inglebright. Peter Hernandez, who represents the Richard Childress/Bill McAnally Racing ‘drive for diversity’ program will also steer a kart.
The competition is secondary to the primary goal of raising money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation which grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions. 100% of all proceeds will be donated directly to the local chapter of Make-A-Wish. Last year the event raised $14,000.
Country music hero Kevin Sharp will perform the National Anthem. Sharp is a national spokesman for the Make A Wish Foundation. He is a bone-cancer survivor that was granted a ‘wish’ during his two grueling years of chemotherapy treatment. In remission since 1991, Sharp has never forgotten the generosity of the Make A Wish Foundation. Opening ceremonies will begin at 2 PM with racing to follow. The front gates open at 11 am for driver registration.
This year’s title sponsor is Wayside Lumber of Rancho Cordova. A family owned business of 50 employees, Wayside began servicing the Sacramento Valley in 1967.
For more event information
contact Cheryl Kohlman at 916.368.7223. Ext.125
For Media and Sponsorship inquiries contact Stacy Strickland at 916.368.7223.
Ext.116
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