Speedbowl and Mr. Rooter partner with The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp Saturday
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event will benefit youth camp
Waterford, CT — Waterford Speedbowl and Mr. Rooter of Connecticut are proud to announce a partnership with The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, founded by late actor and auto racing enthusiast Paul Newman. Saturday's racing event at the Speedbowl will welcome representatives from The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp and provide an opportunity for race fans to support another of Newman's passions – providing seriously ill children the fun-filled experience of camp. Saturday's partnership is centered around raising awareness for the Camp in addition to a fundraising challenge to patrons of the Speedbowl. The goal, to raise enough funding to send one or more youths to camp, will hopefully be met with rousing success.
The Camp is nestled not far from the Speedbowl in Ashford, Connecticut, and is dedicated to providing a "different kind of healing" to seriously ill children and their families throughout the Northeast, free of charge. Through the generosity of others, The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp community enables this unique healing experience to occur through the world of possibilities that camp has to offer. Race fans have a unique opportunity to assist those efforts at the Speedbowl on Saturday. Fans may donate to The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp at the speedway Box Office and also by visiting the Camp's display on the midway during the event.
Saturday's event sees the return of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour to the Speedbowl for the first time since 2006, competing in the Mr. Rooter sponsored 161-lap race. Track promoter Terry Eames cites the event as "the most prestigious that can be booked here". In addition to the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, the track's weekly NASCAR Whelen All-American Series races will also be held.
Newman's dedication to campers was extraordinarily evident by the days he spent on the lake fishing with campers to the pirate flag he raised on the Camp's tree house. Another of Newman's passions, auto racing, even transcended to taking in private recreational laps at the Speedbowl on occasion. The famed shoreline oval has hosted numerous memorable moments over its six-decade plus timeline, but Eames calls arranging laps for Newman "one of the track's highlights".
Mr. Rooter of Connecticut is an ardent supporter of the Camp and its efforts. The challenge to fans on Saturday will be to see if enough financial support can be raised to cover the expenses of sending a youth to Camp.
Founded in 1988 by Newman, The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp is a nonprofit, year-round center serving children and their families coping with cancer, sickle cell anemia, and other serious illnesses. Through summer sessions and family weekend programs, plus year-round outreach to hospitals and clinics throughout the Northeast, the Camp will service more than 20,000 children and their families in 2012. All services are offered free of charge.
Grandstand gates open at the Speedbowl at 1:30pm Saturday for Mr. Rooter 161 practice. Time Trials to set the starting lineup for the Mr. Rooter 161 take the green flag at 5:00pm. Main events begin at 6:30pm beginning with the track's weekly SK Modified� race. The Mr. Rooter 161 expected post time and pre-race ceremonies is set to begin at 8:30pm. The detailed event schedule for the Mr. Rooter 161 can be found online at Speedbowl.com.
Sources: Waterford Speedbowl PR