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 Anna-Marie 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 Malfitana. “The days of a driver just getting behind the wheel are over.”
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.
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 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:
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.
Race 101 PR
