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Bill Brooks is Chairman of the Foundation's Racing4Research Advisory Council and Mayor of the city of Belle Isle, Florida.  In this article he recaps his recent weekend at Daytona International Speedway representing the R4R program as the #85 Children's Tumor Foundation Porsche GT3 raced in the Brumos Porsche 250.

This past weekend we attended the Daytona International Speedway for the NASCAR Subway Jalapeno 250 Nationwide Series race, the Brumos Porsche 250 Grand Am Series race and the NASCAR Coke Zero 400.  The event was a huge success for the Racing4Research program and the Children’s Tumor Foundation.

Originally, all I knew was that I was supposed to be taking our proud, “beaten but not broken” symbol of endurance from the January Rolex 24 Hours race – the front bumper off the #85 Children's Tumor Foundation Porsche – back to Daytona to hand it off to Farnbacher Loles so they could graciously give it a ride to New Jersey to give it to Foundation Executive Director George Orfanakos to hang it in CTF headquarters. Then, Racing4Research Program Officer Jill Beck called me on June 30th to tell me all about this fantastic opportunity that we had through a rapidly assembled partnership with our great friends at Farnbacher Loles Racing and with new friends at Aaron’s Dream Machine – Ken Butler, III, of Butler Brother’s Racing, which allowed us to gain more great exposure and raise awareness to Grand Am fans and for the first time, NASCAR fans.

On Friday, we had a wonderful meet and greet with the Farnbacher Loles team around the car in the truck hauler rigs / garage area.  The car was beautiful (Nice job again Roger! Can you do my SUV?). The drivers- Ron Yarab, a physician who treats NF patients and Daniel Graeff, an Italian foods company entrepreneur, the pit crew and chief were all so gracious in spending valuable time with our CTF families- Jim, Shelley and Sam Couillard of Ocala, FL and my family, including Lilly Ann [Bill's daughter and NF Hero].  It was touching to watch Lilly Ann and Sam interact with the team, and especially to watch Daniel and Ron both spend so much time down on their knees at the kids’ level, talking to them, showing them the car, putting them in it, helping them steer and to walk alongside them to the car inspection. Both told the kids “you are our inspiration”. Wow, that one still gets me.

Then we were lucky to also have a meet and greet in the Sprint Fan Zone at the track with NASCAR Nationwide driver Ken Butler III and members of the Aaron’s NASCAR team that sponsors him.  Ken, a rookie in the Nationwide series, is an avid supporter of the Foundation stemming from the ongoing struggles of his childhood family friend Drew Leathers who is bravely battling Schwannomatosis, the rarest form of NF.   This was our first partnership in a NASCAR Nationwide event because of our caring friend. He too was great with the CTF kids and families, and stayed around to sign autographs on his driver card and distribute Aaron’s hats.

Then we went out on Pit Road for the Nationwide Subway Jalapeno 250 pre-race festivities, when my wife Candee saw the TV crew from Sprint Vision, which broadcasts live from a roving crew across the whole track on huge big screen Sprint Vision boards. They were just interviewing typical fans around the track, and Candee said, “go over there and see if you can get CTF an interview”. So being the shy one in the family I did, and they did! We spent about two minutes talking about CTF, Racing4Research, NF, our web site, Farnbacher Loles and Aaron’s, and of course Lilly Ann. I couldn’t believe how many people from Orlando who knew me were there. My phone and texts lit up right after that interview from people who saw it. After emailing to thank Sprint Vision Associate Producer Casey Kennett and Paul B. Saturday morning, I called and asked if they wouldn’t mind going by our #85 pits before the Brumos Porsche race to interview the CTF drivers and team. They jumped on it so fast! Ron and Daniel did a great job in the interview.

The race was a lot of fun to watch. Congratulations to Greg Loles and the Farnbacher Loles #87 Porsche for WINNING the Brumos Porsche 250 GT Series over the #70 Mazda RX 8! We were there watching them in the Winner’s Circle to see them celebrate. Way to go drivers- Dirk Werner and Leh Keen! Dirk made some awesome moves at the end to fend off the #70. And also congratulations to Farnbacher Loles drivers Eric Lux and Wolf Henzler for their Top 5 finish in the #86. And of course we are most proud of the endurance and safe driving that our #85 CTF Porsche car drivers, Ron and Daniel carried out in incredible heat, dehydration and one spin out, and still managed to complete the race in 14th place in the GT class. Finishing, enduring challenge, trying to keep the car free of harm. A lot of parallels to the challenge of NF.

The words, “thank you” are terribly insufficient to express my heartfelt appreciation to everyone who made this happen this past weekend. It was a great diversion from the daily challenges that NF families endure and I know the kids had an exciting time. I look forward to getting a huge crowd there in January 30-31, 2010 for the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona. The awareness and funds that these partnerships can raise through Racing4Research is huge among Grand Am and NASCAR fans. .

And of course none of it would be possible without the best owners and crew in the GT series! Thanks to all associated with FarnbacherLoles and Aaron’s and Butler Brothers Racing. You have been an INCREDIBLE boost to our efforts, and especially to the will to fight and the morale of our families and patients. You are awesome, caring individuals who I could tell have huge hearts for the children and adults who endure the challenges of this unpredictable disease every day.

We also can’t say thank you enough to the entire FarnbacherLoles team’s great people, including but certainly not limited to Greg Loles, Michelle and Murray Marden, Frank Risciniti and especially the #85 Children’s Tumor Foundation Porsche drivers, Dr. Ron Yarab, Jr. and Daniel Graeff both of whom drove the Foundation car at this year's Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona. They took it upon themselves; having been so inspired by the children and adults they met in January at the Rolex race, to put the whole package together financially and to drive another CTF car on July 4th to Fuel the Cure in front of tens of thousands of live fans at the track and hundreds of thousands on Speed Channel at home.

Until we succeed in finding a cure and putting our Foundation “out of business”, we’ll keep working hard every day for our children to have a brighter hope for a treatment or a cure to this devastating disease. We are making meaningful progress each year through our research grants and Drug Discovery Initiative! When the cure does come someday, we will want to come back to Daytona and go back on Sprint Vision to thank you in front of all of your fans at the track.

For more information on the Racing4Research program please click here.

If you or someone you know would like to become an NF Hero please click here.