Back in 2017, Racing to End Alzheimer’s unveiled its special race car livery for the first time at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. The purple car was covered in the names and hometowns of people whose lives were changed by Alzheimer’s. This year, the non-profit organization looks forward to its home-state race in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Series with two California drivers behind the wheel.
Nick Galante and Gregory Liefooghe will co-drive the #80 Racing to End Alzheimer’s/BimmerWorld BMW M4 GT4. Galante, who hails from Monterey, has another local connection: he is also a caddy at Pebble Beach. His most recent win at WeatherTech Raceway came in 2018, when he won the ST class in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge.
Saturday’s race at WeatherTech Raceway will be the first time that Galante and San Francisco’s Liefooghe have been co-drivers, but the two are already teammates at BimmerWorld. In fact, Liefooghe helped the team finish second at Road Atlanta two weeks ago. Together, they should be a formidable force at their home track of WeatherTech Raceway.
The names covering the BMW are a moving tribute, but are not just a way to honor loved ones. They’re also the primary way Racing to End Alzheimer’s raises money to fund the care and fund the cure. Since its inception in 2017, Racing to End Alzheimer’s has to date raised over $300,000. One hundred percent of the proceeds goes to groups like UCLA’s Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Program and the Nantz National Alzheimer Center at Houston Methodist Hospital, with all administrative costs covered by sponsor Legistics.
This weekend, when the #80 BMW gets on track at WeatherTech Raceway, Galante and Liefooghe will be honoring 141 people. Despite the unique challenges of the 2020 season, which was put on hiatus for five months due to the pandemic, Racing to End Alzheimer’s has still achieved its goal of covering the BMW with names.
The Racing to End Alzheimer’s BMW will get the green flag in the two-hour race on Saturday, October 31, at 3:35pm PT. IMSA.tv and TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold will both have live coverage.
About Me: Adam has been a race fan since the first time he went through the tunnel under the Daytona International Speedway almost 30 years ago. He has had the privilege of travelling to races all across the state of Florida (as well as one race in Ohio), watching nearly everything with a motor compete for fame and glory, as well as participating in various racing schools to get the feel of what racecar drivers go through every week. Adam has spent the last three years covering motorsports for Examiner.com., where he had the opportunity to see the racing world from behind the scenes as well as the grandstands. He invites everyone to follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus, and looks forward to sharing his enthusiasm for all things racing with the readers of SpeedwayDigest.com.Be sure to tune in for his weekly sports talk program, Thursday Night Thunder, where he discusses the latest in motorsports news with drivers, crew members, and fans. The show takes place every Thursday at 8:00 pm EST on the Speedway Digest Radio Network.
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