Racing to End Alzheimer’s Goes from Road Trip to Track at Sebring

The IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Series gets underway again this weekend at Sebring International Raceway. Fresh off of a coast-to-coast road trip to raise funds and awareness, Racing to End Alzheimer’s is eager to get back on the track with the names of 120 loved ones affected by Alzheimer’s emblazoned on the #80 BimmerWorld BMW M4 GT4. In addition to providing a poignant tribute, it is also the primary way that Racing to End Alzheimer’s raises money to fund the care and fund the cure.

 

Racing to End Alzheimer’s is a non-profit, and supporters can contribute $250 for the opportunity to put the name and hometown of a loved one affected by Alzheimer’s on the car. 100% of proceeds goes to organizations working to find a cure and to provide improved care. A matching donation from corporate sponsor Legistics doubles the amount of money to make an even bigger impact. Last year, Racing to End Alzheimer’s raised over $130,000.

 

While IMSA racing was on hiatus due to COVID-19, Racing to End Alzheimer’s founder Phil Frengs found a new way to get the word out. On the Road Again: The Ultimate Tour for the Cure was a two-week, 4,000-mile road trip from Florida to California that raised funds and awareness for Alzheimer’s. Frengs drove a BMW M4 that matches the race car, including all of the names. Along the way, Frengs presented checks to both the Nantz National Alzheimer Center at Houston Methodist Hospital and UCLA’s Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Program. 

 

On the Road Again was a great success, but Frengs is excited about getting back to the track. “It will be great to get back to racing. As the season returns, starting with Sebring, we look forward to the competition as well as the opportunity to interact with the racing community,” says Frengs. “The track is where we have had so many conversations about loved ones with the people we meet. Parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, siblings, all people who have had such an important influence on us, all victims of this scourge. We love and honor them when we put their names on the race car.”

 

Nick Galante and Dillon Machavern are the co-drivers of the #80 BimmerWorld BMW. The team gets the green flag along with the rest of the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Series field on Friday, July 17 at 2:30pm ET. Fans can watch the two-hour race live with Trackpass on NBC Sports Gold.

 

Adam Sinclair