BACA'S '06 TRIBUTE TO 9/11 VICTIMS WILL CONCLUDE IN READING
Fulfilling a commitment he made in
mid-June, Mach 1 Air Services Top Fuel driver David Baca will honor the victims
of 9/11 with two very special helmet presentations Sunday morning at Maple Grove
Raceway.
Both helmets, a genuine New York City firefighter's helmet and
a special 9/11 tribute racing helmet, were used as the centerpieces of a massive
auction to raise money for the Mark Hindy Charitable Foundation, a 501c3
organization that distributes money to children touched by the 9/11 tragedies.
Hindy worked on the 104th floor of the North Tower for Cantor Fitzgerald, and
was one of more than 3,000 people who were lost in the attacks. Hindy's father,
George, competes in Super Gas in Division 1 and will be racing this weekend at
Maple Grove.
Baca helped New Jersey-based sportsman racer Frankie
Cicerale kick off this year's second annual auction on June 15 at the K&N
Filters Supernationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in New Jersey. The
increased awareness Baca generated on ESPN2 and among the professional teams and
sponsors in the drag racing community helped Cicerale more than double the
amount his raffle raised in it's inaugural year.
"David Baca is a hero to me," Cicerale said. "When he found out what
I was doing he jumped in 100 percent. Not only did he take money out of his own
pocket, but he got a lot of the pros involved and the donations came pouring in.
His sponsor, Mach 1, also was very generous with us, as was Bill Miller
Engineering. Without question, we owe much of our success this year to David.
He's a genuine guy, the real article."
Baca plans to help Cicerale again
in 2007 with an even bigger presence on his racecar and a larger area in his
hospitality area for fans to see the items that will be raffled off. Baca also
will wear next year's helmet in competition to increase its' uniqueness.
But before he looks to next season, Baca will award this year's grand
prizes to Ed Alessi Sr. and Sara Winzer. Alessi, a Super Gas racer from Howard
Beach, N.Y., who is racing in Reading, won the firefighter's helmet, while
Winzer will receive the 9/11 tribute helmet. Winzer races Super Street but is
not competing this weekend.
"I couldn't be prouder of my role in
Frankie's raffle," Baca said. "I got involved in this deal after an unscheduled
trip to Ground Zero with my family. The 9/11 attacks really hit home with me
that day and I realized how lucky I am to live in this country.
"I have
two kids and the Mark Hindy Charitable Foundation gives 100-percent of its
proceeds to help children, specifically those touched by the loss we all felt on
9/11 five years ago. I couldn't think of a better cause.
"Mike
Entzminger, the CEO of Mach 1, and I decided at the beginning of our
relationship to use our racecar to help the fans and the communities that
support our racing program. We've had visits from Jerry's Kids this year, from
the folks with Alex's Lemonade Stand for pediatric cancer research, from the
Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, and from Donate Life, which raises
awareness for organ and tissue donation. But I think by far the thing that has
touched people the most in this raffle because 9/11 is something that defined
this generation of Americans."