Champion Spark Plugs

Always a Champion Competition

Be sure to support Race 101 student Sarah Cornett-Ching in this competition by voting once a day and don't forget to leave a comment about her video!

http://contest.alwaysachampion.com/contests/showentry/1011998

RACE 101 kicks off third year announcing diverse group of students; New ‘Premier Driver’ to be named at inaugural Gala Awards Dinner

January 10, 2012, DENVER, NORTH CAROLINA – The inaugural RACE 101 Gala  Awards Dinner in February will feature graduation ceremonies for the class of 2011 along with the introduction of the 2012 class. Graduates are eager to learn who earned the vacant ride in the school’s Howe super late model with the title of Premier Driver.

Thirteen students completed the course in 2011, and they are being replaced by 18 eager racers from five states and two Canadian provinces.

“The selection process was harder this year than ever,” said RACE 101 co-founder and instructor Tony Blanchard. “We had more applicants than last year, and the overall quality of their resumes is impressive.”

RACE 101 welcomes its oldest student yet as 28-year-old Scott Wylie from Blasdell, New York, accepted his scholarship offer, and four female racers make this year’s group more diverse than years past.

“This will definitely be a competitive group,” said co-founder and instructor Anna Marie Strawhand. “We’ve all met online, and their enthusiasm to get started is overwhelming. I look forward to meeting them at our February class.”

The second weekend in February marks the first time two full classes converge. New students will spend Friday, Saturday, and Sunday learning while graduating students will arrive Saturday for the Gala Dinner and Graduation.

“We want an event that celebrates what we are,” said co-founder and instructor Adam Ross. “Our goal is for every class to network together. The program is one year, but we have made life-long friends. We’re so proud of the racers we’ve had the opportunity to work with. We’re excited for this event.”

The Gala Dinner will showcase various award recipients, and it will also feature a surprise announcement or two.

 “We welcome anyone interested in knowing more about the program to attend the Gala Dinner,” said Blanchard. “Tickets are $25, and you can find information at race101.net. Tickets are only available in advance.”

Graduating students include: Daniel Alvarez - Chappells, South Carolina; Brandon Atkinson – 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 – Bellingham, Massachusetts; Trevor Sanborn - Limerick, ME; Tommy Stilphen- Kennebunk, ME; Jerry Tunney – Clark’s Summit, Pennsylvania; and Luke Whitteker – Iroquois, Ontario.

The new class features: Shane Billings – Carleton Place, Ontario; Jordan Gahan – Fredericton, New Brunswick; Ian Isringhausen – Mooresville, North Carolina; Trey Jarrell – Martinsville, Virginia; Kase Kallenbach – Charlotte, North Carolina; Katelyn Kane – Syracuse, New York; Zach Knowles -  Mooresville, North Carolina; Kameron Kocarik – Fonthill, Ontario; Austin Kochenash – Danielsville, Pennsylvania; John Lowinski – Milford, Massachusetts; Garrett Marchant – Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina; Ryan Morris – Honeybrook, Pennsylvania; Tabatha Murphy – Prescott, Ontario; Casey Pierce – Lenoir, North Carolina; Steven Shaw – Merlin, Ontario; Caley Weese – Carrying Place, Ontario; April Wilson – Joyceville, Ontario; and Scott Wylie – Blasdell, New York.

The Gala Dinner and Graduation will be streamed live online at www.race101.net , and the ceremony will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, February 11th.

For more information on RACE 101 or Gala tickets visit www.race101.net . Information on our students can be found on the website. For interview or ticket requests, or for any information not found on the website please send inquiries to pr101@race101.net .

Photo: The Class of 2011 poses in front of the RACE 101 Shop/School during classes held last November, in Denver ,NC. This class will be graduating on February 11^th 2012 at The RACE 101 Gala Awards Dinner. The event will be streamed live via Race101.net  that evening and showcase various award recipients, including the naming of the Premier Driver, as well as introduce the new students. (Photo By Pam Russ)

Mike Mahaney - Perseverance

In November, we held our last class for the 2011 students, and one of the things we did was hold 'mock' sponsorship interviews. When I asked the question from each student to say one word that describes them at the end of the interview, student Mike Mahaney said 'Perseverance'.

I asked him to elaborate a bit on that and later I thought it would be good for him to put this in writing and send it to me. I was very impressed, I think you will be too, so I will share it with you here---

FROM MIKE MAHANEY:

"More than half my life has been devoted to fulfilling my dream: to race for a living. I grew up helping my Dad, the "Workshoe," with his dirt modified, learning everything I could. For years I was his only pit crew while really wanting to get behind the wheel myself. At age 14 I started driving everything I could get into - sometimes three days a week in four different classes! I have raced over twelve diffent types of cars: sprint cars, late models, modifieds, you name it. I went to college for a degree in Motorsports just to get the advantage of knowing every aspect of the cars. I'm currently enrolled in RACE101 to learn all I can improve that edge. I am constantly thinking about ways to go faster in a race car. I have worked in race-related jobs - sometimes three at a time - on top of maintaining my own cars, to keep learning while earning money to race. I then even quit a job building race engines that I enjoyed, to work closer to my shop and make more money to keep racing.

Many have told me there is nothing wrong with getting a good job and racing for fun. They could be right but I want to give 100% focus on winning races. All I want to do is race; it's what I love. Now at 22 years old I have 8 years behind the wheel with tremendous improvement and much success, but still no full time ride. My parents have been fully supportive of my goal but they can't afford to fund my racing forever, and they can't sell their farm when Marcos Ambrose offers a ride saying I have heaps of talent...just bring heaps of money. I was praised throughout Richard Petty's Driver Search but came in second to a driver with more pavement experience. I could have given up right there and said maybe I'm just a weekend hobby racer, but I just can't let it go. I will never give up my dream. I will earn a living racing cars someday. That's Perseverance." 

Mike Mahaney is currently in the RACE 101 class of 2011 and will graduate from our program in February, when we hold our Graduation and Awards Ceremony.  Learn more about Mike Mahaney and all our students on our Class Roster: http://www.race101.net/roster2011.html

Marketing yourself in racing; Become the 'Opportunity' Part I

by: Adam Ross

Opportunity is knocking somewhere. If you’re listening for it you’re on the wrong side of the door.
By nature most people want opportunity to knock. Who doesn’t? But if you put in the effort to make yourself and your racing endeavour the appealing entity it should be then you can become the opportunity for somebody and their business or organization.
I plan to write a series of blogs to share my experiences in the racing business. In many regions of North America motorsports at the grassroots level struggles to get the attention it deserves. In some areas racing is featured at nearly every level of the media. People aren’t that different across our land. If we put in reasonable effort to promote ourselves and our sport we can make a difference. We can each help the industry succeed, and in turn we help ourselves.
You’re likely familiar with the expression ‘opportunity doesn’t knock twice’. The truth is opportunity rarely knocks even once.
Racers and promoters often tell the same story when talking about sponsorship and advertising. They’ll work hard to promote their sponsors with websites, press releases, newsletters, car appearances, new professional car designs and the list goes on. In most cases they never get the chance because they’re never given the opportunity.
Step one towards improving your overall racing experience is to change your mindset. Rather than wait for opportunity to appear you need to become that opportunity. We all know people who are successful in racing - whether a driver or a track promoter or even someone operating a racing business. Why does one succeed while others struggle? While there’s no single answer to all of racing’s challenges there are recurring themes.
From here forward I’ll refer to the racer, promoter, or racing business person as the ‘Opportunity’. If we stop waiting for someone to recognize us for the greatness that we are and start to position ourselves the way we want to be, we then can become the Opportunity.
About Adam Ross
I plan to write blogs to include my experiences and some of the things we teach through RACE 101. To give some background I have been involved in motorsports my entire life. My parents met at a speedway, and I’ve had the racing bug as long as I can remember.
After a brief racing career consisting of kart racing and open wheel modifieds I turned my attention to motorsports public relations, writing, announcing, broadcasting, and marketing. My educational background is public relations, but like many in the motorsports industry I’ve received much of my education on the job.
I co-founded the motorsports educational program RACE 101 (an acronym for Research, Analyze, Consult, Educate, 1 on 1), and I instruct in the program with Tony Blanchard and AnnaMarie Strawhand. I’ve announced the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series since its inception in 2007, and I’m proud to also work as a play-by-play voice on many of its television broadcasts. I am co-owner of an online magazine Dirt Track Digest where I provide editorial content and race coverage, and I’m a proud partner of Motorsports Consultant Services.
If you have any questions or comments, please direct them to adamrossenterprises@gmail.com. For more information on any of the items I discuss please visit www.race101.net, www.dirttrackdigest.com, or www.motorsportsconsultantservices.com.

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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VIDEO - RACE 101 DOCUMENTARY - BUILDING A BETTER DRIVER

Documentary video about the RACE 101 Program. Learn more about our current class of up and coming race drivers, what they have learned to better their own racing programs this year on both the mechanical and marketing side. Meet the faculty and see our alumni racing student success stories. Now accepting applications for our 2012 racing scholarship program - apply online: www.race101.net