2012 RACE 101 Awards Gala & Dinner Recorded Broadcast from 2/11/12

 

Watch the entire broadcast from the 2012 RACE 101 Gala Awards Dinner and Graduation Ceremony. Originally streamed LIVE from the LaQuinta Inn and Suites in Hickory, NC on Saturday, February 11th 2012.   The event included the Graduating Class of 2011, plus special awards being presented to students and alumni as well as the naming of the 2012 Premier Driver. Also included is the introduction of the new 2012 class.

RACE 101 faculty faces difficult decision choosing next ‘Premier Driver’; Numerous students deserving of vacant position

December 16th, 2011, DENVER, NC - RACE 101’s next ‘Premier Driver’ will be announced during the annual RACE 101 graduation ceremony in Feburary. The ceremony will fill the spot left vacant since RACE 101 released current Premier Driver Trevor Edwards today.

“Choosing the right Premier Driver is a challenging task,” said RACE 101 founder and instructor, Tony Blanchard. “When you go to the races it’s easy to determine a winner. We use far more than results to determine our Premier Driver.”

RACE 101 was founded in 2009 by Blanchard along with seasoned public relations and marketing specialist AnnaMarie Strawhand and motorsports commentator and public relations specialist Adam Ross. An acronym for Research, Analyze, Consult, and Educate, 1 on 1 – the program was designed to offer aspiring racers the education they need to advance their careers.

“Racing has evolved to the point where a driver has to be their own best salesperson, spokesperson, and ambassador,” said AnnaMarie. “The days of a driver just getting behind the wheel are over.”
 

Our students have worked hard this year and applied what they have learned to their own racing careers.

RACE 101’s inaugural class graduated at the end of 2010. The class knew that one driver would be named Premier Driver, and that student would drive the RACE 101 Howe super late model in selected races the following year. The competition motivated students to execute the skills they learned through attending classes at RACE 101’s Denver, North Carolina, headquarters, and through online webinars throughout the year.

“Earning the Premier Driver title is definitely motivational for the students,” said Ross. “But I think often times they put too much emphasis on the title when they should be celebrating their achievements. “Only one student will get that title, but we’ve already seen that our graduates accomplish great things with or without our race car.”
 

Graduates from the 2010 class have made significant waves in their respected areas. Florida’s Michael Cenzi entered the program with no concrete racing plans in 2010. The family owned a late model, but the series he hoped to compete in struggled to form a schedule. Cenzi focused on a safe-driving campaign that drew the support of the American Automobile Association among other businesses. He campaigns throughout Florida educating young people on not texting while driving.

RACE 101 Alumni driver, Amanda Ferguson, speaks to this year's class at our open house in November.

Amanda Ferguson left sprint car racing for super late models, and the young Florida racer also makes frequent public appearances to promote herself and her sponsors. Virginia native and RACE 101 graduate Clifton Savage won the program’s public relations award in 2010. The youngster organized and executed a successful charity race while attending RACE 101, and the second annual event in 2011 was even more successful.

The RACE 101/Howe Super Late Model Debuted this past spring at the PASS 150 event at North Wilkesboro Speedway with driver Trevor Sanborn. The car was fast right out of the box, and Sanborn offered good feedback on the car that helped all season.

 “The RACE 101 car is important because even though we teach principles that apply to any division and any driver we still need to perform on the track as well,” said Blanchard. “We took our car to North Wilkesboro with Trevor Sanborn as the driver this spring, and I think we turned some heads when we were fastest in practice.

“We need to combine the success of our students in the program with success on the track. That’s why we’re making a few adjustments for 2012.”

Sanborn relocating to North Carolina to work full-time in RACE 101 shop:

2011 RACE 101 Student, Trevor Sanborn has opted out of the Premier Driver contention. He has come on board with RACE 101 as an instructor, mechanic and R&D driver for RACE 101 owner Tony Blanchard. Here he is shown working with one of Tony Blanchard's younger drivers as an assistant driving coach a few weeks ago.

Trevor Sanborn earned a scholarship to the 2011 RACE 101 program. The 23-year-old Maine native arrived with impressive credentials. He has won numerous super late model races including PASS events, but he knew there was still plenty to learn.

Sanborn and Blanchard recently agreed that Sanborn should remove himself from contention for the ‘Premier Driver’ title. In January he will move to North Carolina to work full-time in Blanchard’s shop helping with the RACE 101 car and with Blanchard’s numerous clients.
Sanborn will serve as a mentor and driving coach in 2012. He will also compete in Blanchard’s super late model and serve as test driver.
“Trevor’s ability behind the wheel will be an asset to my business,” said Blanchard. “Not only will he be a huge help to our next Premier Driver, but he will also help us maintain our race cars. The competition will have to watch out.”

The RACE 101 house car competed just a few times this year. Edwards drove at Winchester Speedway, South Boston Speedway, and most recently at Hickory Motor Speedway where he enjoyed his best finish of 10th place.
Edwards was released as RACE 101 Premier Driver this week after a series of decisions the faculty agreed were unbecoming of RACE 101’s core values. The role will remain vacant until the February graduation ceremony.

Students in contention for the title include: Daniel Alvarez, Chappells, South Carolina; Brandon Atkins, Statesville, North Carolina; Sulo Burbank, Gorham, Maine; Sarah Cornett-Ching, Summerland, British Columbia; Mike Mahaney, King Ferry, New York; Bryce Malcolm, Simpsonville, South Carolina; Anthony Perez, Suffolk, Virginia; Shayne Pierce, Welland, Ontario; Derek Robbie, Bellinngham, Massachusetts; Tommy Stilphen, Kennebunk, Maine; Jerry Tunney, Clark’s Summit, Pennsylvania; and Luke Whitteker, Iroquois, Ontario.
 

To learn more about RACE 101 and the students competing to become the next Premier Driver, visit www.race101.net. For interviews, please contact race101pr@gmail.com.
 

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Take our online POLL: Who do you predict will be named the 2012 RACE 101 Premier Driver?

IMPORTANT NOTE: THIS A POLL ONLY - NOT A CONTEST. WE ARE ONLY USING THIS TO SEE WHAT FANS HAVE BEEN KEEPING TRACK OF EACH STUDENT/DRIVER'S PROGRESS IN OUR PROGRAM. IT HAS NO BEARING ON WHO WILL BE CHOSEN AS PREMIER DRIVER.  SCROLL OVER TO THE SIDEBAR ON THIS PAGE TO TAKE POLL.  ONE VOTE PER PERSON. POLL OPEN UNTIL JANUARY 1ST.

To learn more about each driver currently in our program please see the 2011 class roster:


http://www.race101.net/roster2011.html

The RACE 101 Premier Driver is a student chosen from each yearly graduating class by the RACE 101 faculty. This student must have fully completed the program and worked hard to complete all assignments and attend all classes throughout the year. This student must show improvement in a variety of skills and have implemented these skills on all levels of our curriculum. He or she must be a leader, mentor and positive representative for the program and fellow students. The Premier Driver will be named at the Official Graduation and Award Ceremony in January. The Premier Driver is awarded the opportunity to drive in selected events in the RACE 101/Howe Super Late Model House Car, and officially represent and make appearances on behalf of RACE 101, and our program sponsors and partners.

Please feel free to comment below on any student/driver in our program and why you feel that they would make a good candidate for the 2012 RACE 101 Premier Driver.

Our Students are down to the final homestretch - who will earn the Premier Driver Title and Drive the RACE 101 House Car in 2012?

School is out for RACE 101 Class of 2011;
Final project will determine RACE 101’s next Premier Driver

November 10, 2011, DENVER, NC - RACE 101 held its final classroom sessions of 2011 last weekend in Denver, North Carolina. The battle to earn Premier Driver for 2012 is intense with just weeks until graduation.
“In racing you’re generally measured by your results on the race track,” said program founder Tony Blanchard. “We look for much more from our Premier Driver. We will choose a driver who is balanced with technical, marketing, and media skills, but most importantly we will choose a driver who exemplifies the core values of RACE 101.”
The students were overwhelmed with studies of chassis dynamics, geometry, and impromptu interviews at RACE 101 headquarters. The group also enjoyed a review of goals surpassed during the year.
“The upcoming Premier Driver is going to have a great deal of responsibility,” said instructor Anna Marie Strawhand. “We’ve discovered that our students learn a lot from each other, and it has been exciting to see relationships develop.
“Our Premier Driver will need to manage his or her own career while serving as a role model for current, former, and future students.”
The Premier Driver will also have the opportunity to test and race the RACE 101 Howe house car with McGunegill horsepower in 2012.

RACE 101 Ambassador program introduced
Faculty also introduced the RACE 101 Ambassador program which will keep graduated students actively involved for years to come.
 “We have been honored by our students from 2010 who want to stay involved with the program mentoring current students and speaking to current and potential students,” said instructor Adam Ross. “We’re proud of every graduate of the program, but we’ve recognized an opportunity for certain graduates to stay involved. There is nothing more rewarding than knowing that we’ve touched lives.”
RACE 101’s Premier Driver will be introduced during the graduation ceremony in January of 2012, but not before students complete their final assignment which embodies all of what they have learned during the program.
For more information on RACE 101, visit www.race101.net . Each student has a blog along with their own profile page. For interview requests, please contact pr101@race101.net .

RACE 101 students nearing the finish line; House car competes at Hickory and 2012 Premier Driver announcement around the corner

October 26^th, 2011, DENVER, NC - Success is measured in various ways. With 2011 coming to an end RACE 101 students past and present have surpassed many goals. 

While on-track results speak volumes RACE 101’s curriculum involves much more than competitiveness.

“Every one of our students comes with a different goal,” said RACE 101 Founder and head instructor Tony Blanchard. “We work with them to relate what we teach with how it can help them in the present.

“In many cases our students need sponsorship to continue racing at their current level, and in other cases they’re trying to advance through the ranks. Some of our students are happy where they are, and they want to learn everything they can to improve their situation. We pride ourselves in catering to each student’s individual needs.”

At the end of the program each year a Premier Driver is chosen to compete in the RACE 101 presented by Howe Racing Products super late model with McGunegill horsepower under the hood.

This weekend at Hickory Motor Speedway RACE 101’s premier driver from the class of 2010 Trevor Edwards will compete. Program founder Tony Blanchard spent a couple days last week testing. The first day was with current student from Maine Trevor Sanborn. The second day was with less-experienced Edwards.

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2011 RACE 101 Premier Driver, Trevor Edwards with the RACE 101/Howe Super Late Model

“The test day was amazing,” said Edwards. “The car feels awesome. I needed more work than the car, but I think we’ll be in great shape for the Hickory race.”

Edwards was chosen as premier driver for his outstanding efforts while in the RACE 101 program both on track and off track. He balanced competitiveness on the track with the necessary time focusing on sponsorship and promotional work to impress RACE 101 faculty. His reward is the opportunity to race the RACE 101 super late model with Tony Blanchard as crew chief. 

RACE 101 is now taking applications from race drivers for our 2012 Racing Scholarship Program. Learn more and apply at www.race101.net

Scholarship applications are open for the RACE 101 class of 2012, and the battle is on with this year’s group to be named premier driver for the current class. The program has seen great success in its second year. The proof is evident scanning through the current RACE 101 roster.

 Brandon Atkinson recently made his asphalt stock car debut. The impressive 15-year-old relocated from Virginia to Statesville, North Carolina, where he could chase his racing dream. Atkinson has seen success racing dirt cars, but the choice to launch a pavement career in one of Hickory Motor Speedway’s toughest classes was a difficult one. Atkinson had a great fourth place result in the prestigious Dwight Huffman Memorial 100-lap event for limited late models at Hickory recently.

Brandon Atkinson prepares to make his late model and pavement racing debut at Hickory Motor Speedway. The 15 year old impressed with a 4th place finish the first time out.

“I was confident we could have a strong finish if I kept my nose clean and stayed patient,” said Atkinson. “We only qualified 13^th, but I knew the car was better than that. I’m excited about the strong run.”

On the same weekend thousands of miles away Sarah Cornett-Ching attended the ARCA OK Tire Sportsman Series banquet. The charismatic British Columbia racer was awarded Rookie of the Year and Most Improved Driver Awards to go with her eighth place in the points standings. The stellar ARCA result was accompanied by her debut in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series driving the ‘Cruisin for a Cause’-sponsored Jason White entry.

 Canadian racer Sarah Cornett -Ching with her awards from the 2011 ARCA OK Tire Sportsman Series Banquet. Sarah was able to use many facets from the RACE 101 program to advance different areas of her career.

“This was a great way to end our season,” said  Cornett-Ching. “If you told me last winter I would have raced in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series this year and won all these awards I’m not sure I would have believed it. I’m already overwhelmed making plans for 2012.”

One of RACE 101’s youngest students is Derek Robbie from Bellingham, Massachusetts. Robbie’s two open-wheel modified wins are impressive this season, but even more impressive is the extensive promotional schedule run by the 13-year-old. Robbie contacted his local Chamber of Commerce and opened numerous doors through charitable appearances and promotional events. The youngster plans to expand on that in 2012.

Derek Robbie combined his cross country running skills with a charity promotion that included appearing with his race car.  Derek has also been able to improve his press release writing skills working with RACE 101 instructors and has created a solid media and blog following for his racing.

“I can’t believe how much I learned this year,” said Robbie. “RACE 101 has shown me that there’s opportunities available to all of us. We just need to open the right doors.”

New England provided a great deal of talented young racers to RACE 101. Veteran Super Late Model racer Trevor Sanborn came to increase his understanding of the race cars he’s seen great success with while teenagers Tommy Stilphen and Sulo Burbank are newcomers to full-sized race cars in the northeast.

Sanborn recently enjoyed his test day with Blanchard in the RACE 101 house car.

“The goal was to get a good feel for the race car,” said Sanborn. “Every time Tony touched the car we got faster.

“At the start of the day we were hitting the rev limiter going into the corner. By the end of the day I was on the rev limiter at the start finish line. We did that just by adjusting shocks.”

Sanborn is among RACE 101’s more decorated drivers, but he fits right in with the rest of the class.

Trevor Sanborn in victory lane with his own Howe 101 chassis this spring at Beech Ridge Speedway. Trevor used what he learned about race car set-ups and applied it to his own program. He also wanted to better on his in-car communication skills and was able to do that working one on one with RACE 101's Tony Blanchard.

“The way we’ve developed our program it applies to an experienced racer as much as it does a rookie,” said Blanchard. “We teach theories and principles of racing that are relevant on dirt or asphalt and regardless of the division.

“The public relations and media relations side of the course is applicable to all forms of racing of any type. We’re confident that our curriculum stacks up to any in the market.”

Burbank’s season went better than he anticipated. The Maine teenager won Rookie of the Year in his family’s Super Late Model at Canaan Fair Speedway, and in the ‘Six Pack Series’ he is third in standing just 5 points out of first. 

Sulo Burbank worked hard on the track this year and also worked on promoting his team sponsors, seen here in his hometown Memorial Day Parade. Sulo is one of our younger students, but presents himself in a very professional manner.

“I came into this season hoping to win Rookie of the Year,” said Burbank. “We did that, and I was a competitive top five car every week. I have a full season under my belt now, and I’m looking forward to next year.”

While New England provided strong students, South Carolina also had its share. Daniel Alvarez, Amanda Lynch and Bryce Malcolm all attended RACE 101 this year from South Carolina.

Lynch suffered problems early in the season, and her race team is regrouping and looking towards the future.