RACE101 Graduation Weekend (Premier Driver)

I had long anticipated the graduation weekend for RACE101 that took place last weekend. With hopes high to win the highly regarded Premier Driver Award my mother Elaine, father Kevin and crew member Dustin began our 14 hour drive south toward race city USA. I spent Thursday and Friday touring NASCAR race shops and taking in all that the motorsports oriented area had to offer. Saturday was of course the big day that all the RACE101 students of 2011 and 2012 had been waiting for. Who would be the next representative for RACE101 and who were the new RACE101 prospects for 2012?

As the evening drew nearer I relaxed and took the time to reflect on my time spent at RACE101 and all the accomplishments I had secured over the 2011 season as a result of the mentorship and knowledge I obtained in the program. I realized very quickly that no matter what the outcome and no matter how the awards were distributed I had already achieved my goals I had set at the beginning of the year.

The ceremony began with wise words from Adam Ross, Annamarie Strawhand and Tony Blanchard, mentors and founders of the RACE101 program. The energy was high in the room as parents and friends eagerly awaited for Adam to announce the graduates and award winners. My parents and I mingled with the Gage family over supper and talked racing for the minutes remaining. By this point my heart was racing and I had a feeling that I may be the one to shake Tony Blanchard's hand and receive the premier driver award. Although there was many other very deserving and hard working students I believed I had the extra edge needed to perform and represent the premier driver position. After a quick introduction of the premier driver award my name followed. " We ask you to please join us in welcoming.... Luke Whitteker." At this point I felt a huge sigh of relief. I did it! I had reached my goals and then some!It still feels a little surreal right now but I am motivated and ready to attack any task and take on the responsibility of being premier driver. I hope I make everyone proud!

I know that the students of RACE101 will go on to represent themselves and there racing careers to great success. They have all the strength and tools to reach any goals that they apply themselves to. As a representative of the RACE101 program and of RACE101 students I believe we are breed of our own and a forced to be reckoned with in the motorsports world. Keep an eye on each and every student!

Please visit www.lukewhitteker.com, http://www.facebook.com/lukewhittekermotorsports, https://twitter.com/#!/lukewhitteker

Cold Hard Facts Of "Driver Development": It Takes MONEY to MAKE IT

As a motorsports marketing professional and instructor, I know that finding funding is the biggest issue at hand for young and up and coming racing talent today. I experience this daily. I firmly believe, and it has been proven time and time again, that if a driver is as good at marketing and getting his own backing as he is driving he or she will succeed. Young drivers must educate themselves on how to go out and raise the money and get the backing. It can be done. Many racers hire sales/marketing people to find sponsors for them, but few find success that way. Ultimately DRIVERS need to know how to sell themselves or they will not be able to advance their careers. ALL RACE DRIVERS need to invest the time into making the calls and sending out the emails just as much as they do driving. I have drivers/students signing sponsors as we speak, even in this economy. You are your best salesperson. Sponsors want to meet the driver, they want the driver to be their celebrity spokesperson. They want a return on their investment too, once they spend the money. Drivers must learn how to attract, land, and manage sponsors. It is more of a necessity today more than ever.

The RACE 101 program offers one-on-one marketing, sponsorship and PR consulting with our experienced instructors. We work with our students individually to make sure they are properly selling themselves and their racing programs, We teach them the basics to the advanced as needed - give them the tools and confidence to go out and sign their own sponsors.

Are you an up and coming talented race driver hoping and dreaming to get noticed by a big team or a NASCAR driver development program? Well you can get noticed but the bottom line is this - bring a BIG CHECK or you are back to the weekly home track racing off your own paycheck or mom and dad's. Do you know how to go out and get financial backing and make the proper connections to advance your career? Our RACE 101 students and alumni do. Don't get left behind. Educate yourself.  Sales and Marketing - it's a skill all race drivers must learn and apply to succeed. We spend equal time on our marketing curriculum as we do the mechanical and driving side of our program. That is how important it is.

We are very proud of our RACE 101 2010 Student Alumni Driver, Michael Cenzi. He was able to take what he learned at RACE 101 regarding marketing, sales and PR and landed a solid multi-year sponsorship program with Triple A (AAA). Michael serves as AAA's  spokesman and even filmed a PSA (public service announcement) for a Don't Text and Drive Campaign. Michael races late models in Florida, and is planning a move to NC with his 2012 program.

Check out this recent article on NASCAR.com "Finances change the focus of driver development -Future may have more to do with what's in the wallet than who's behind the wheel" http://www.nascar.com/news/110929/inside-nascar-driver-development/index.html - I speak the truth here and NASCAR confirms what I have have been trying to tell racers for years.

Unfortunately, in this day and age of the sport of auto racing it takes alot more than talent to make it to the top as a driver. Sad, but true. The cold hard facts are that you also need money (lots of it) and connections to get there. Our students learn how to properly make those connections and effectively raise funds and sponsorship for their own racing programs and beyond. At Race 101 we believe if you have both the driving skills and the marketing skills to get your own backing you can create your own success as a driver. The proof is in our students, and alumni who have already been successful at this. If you want to learn how to better your career, apply for a RACE 101 scholarship. Only YOU can change your future. To apply for a RACE 101 scholarship or to schedule an online marketing class - go to www.race101.net

I feel confident that when each of our students graduates from our program each year, we have taught and guided them based on our years of experience to go out on their own and land sponsorship. This is something that each one of our students must apply and work hard at. Nobody said it was easy - but if you have the knowledge, tools, you are open to learning, changing with the times and willing to step away from the car and pick up the phone you can make your own dreams a reality.

Questions? I am here to help. Email me at: race101pr@gmail.com

- Annamarie (Annamarie Malfitana-Strawhand, RACE 101 Co-Founder and Director of Marketing/PR/Web and Instructor)