Drivers start donation drive for Dover
By Tim Packman, Turner Sports Interactive
September 15, 2001
11:53 AM EDT (1553 GMT)
CONCORD, N.C. - Though they're not racing this weekend after NASCAR canceled the New Hampshire 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway, the drivers and team owners are still active in helping the victims and families of Tuesday's tragedy.
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Rusty Wallace
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And while they may not be competing on the racetrack this weekend, NASCAR teams are competing in a different way; they're actively challenging each other to raise money for The Disaster Relief Fund for The American Red Cross. The fund will help the victims and families affected by the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington.
Instead of just making a flat monetary donation, some Winston Cup drivers are donating $10 for each lap they complete in next Sunday's Delaware 400 at Dover Downs International Raceway.
Rusty Wallace and Jeremy Mayfield, teammates under the ownership of Roger Penske, started the drive. The Penske teams are going to donate $10 for each lap completed by the drivers, while the drivers themselves will match the donations.
That comes to a total of $40 per lap donated by the entire Penske orginization. If Wallace and Mayfield complete all 400 laps at Dover, the donation could be a significant sum. They've also challenged other teams to do the same.
"We wanted to do this as soon as we could and since New Hampshire was postponed, Dover is the next race," said Mayfield, driver of the No. 12 Ford. "I'm putting up $10 a lap and the No. 12 team is putting up another $10 per lap.
"Rusty is going to also put up $10 a lap and his team is putting up another $10 per lap. That would be up to $16,000 between the two of us if we run as well as we are capable of running."
Wallace is reaching out to his fellow drivers to get in on the fundraising effort.
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Jeremy Mayfield
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"What we want to do is encourage every driver and every team in the race at Dover to do the same thing," Wallace said. "We did a little math and if we had done this in last year's race, there would have been over a quarter of a million dollars going to the American Red Cross."
If all 43 drivers were to complete all 400 laps, with each driver donating $10 and the corresponding team donating $10 per lap completed, the total would be $344,000 that could be donated to the relief effort.
Andy Petree Racing answered the Penske team's call and joined in the fundraising. Bobby Hamilton and Joe Nemechek, along with their owner, Petree, didn't hesitate when they heard what was proposed.
"I think it's a great idea and we want to be involved," said Petree. "This is an opportunity for the entire NASCAR community to do something as a grassroots thing from the race teams. We want to be a part of that and to give something back to our country.
Petree is joining Mayfield and Wallace in the call for other teams to get involved.
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Andy Petree
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"Those people are working so hard to rescue folks and to help the families," Petree said. "Joe and Bobby didn't even blink when we talked about it. They wanted to be a part of it right away.
"We're hoping every team in the race at Dover will be a part of this."
The end result will make a winner of everyone, no matter where a driver finishes in the race.
"There is a lot that has been done and a lot still left to do, especially in Manhattan," Wallace said. "A lot of people have been hurt.
"I'm sure a lot of those people were race fans, but even if they weren't, we need to show we care and do something to help."
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