CARQUEST Champions for Charities Driver Spotlight: Donny Lia
Stafford Springs, CT — As the excitement builds for the June 28th CARQUEST Extreme Tuesday Champions for Charities event, Stafford Speedway has been busy coordinating charities and the drivers that will represent them. The field for the CARQUEST Champions for Charities race is impressive, as it represents 42 championships among 12 drivers and 5 different open wheel divisions.
Donny Lia is a 2-time Whelen Modified Tour Champion, winning titles in 2007 and 2009 for car owner Bob Garbarino. Lia is a former Tech-Net Spring Sizzler champion, winning the prestigious race in 2007. Lia is the last driver other than Ted Christopher to have won a Spring Sizzler at Stafford as Christopher has won the Sizzler three times in a row. Lia has 2 additional Whelen Modified Tour wins at Stafford, winning the 2007 TSI Harley-Davdison 125 and the 2009 CARQUEST Fall Final 150.
After winning his first Whelen Modified Tour title in 2007, he moved up to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2008 where he won at Mansfield. Lia started the race in 28th and he outdueled David Starr and Todd Bodine in a thrilling three-truck fight for the victory in the closing laps of the race.
Lia will be racing to support the Connecticut Chapter of Autism Speaks. Autism Speaks is dedicated to increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders, to funding research into the causes, prevention and treatments for autism, and to advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families. It was founded in February 2005 by Suzanne and Bob Wright, the grandparents of a child with autism. To learn more about Autism Speaks, please visit www.autismspeaks.org.
“Stafford is one of my favorite tracks to race at and I’m looking forward to helping raise money for Autism Speaks,” said Lia.
The starting lineups for the CARQUEST Champions For Charities qualifying races will be determined by how much money each driver raises for their selected charity. The starting grid will be set with the drivers who have raised the most money starting up front. Fans are encouraged to get involved in the event by donating to their favorite driver or favorite charity. To make a donation to the Connecticut Chapter of Autism Speaks, and for more information on the event, please refer to the CARQUEST Champions for Charities donation page located at www.staffordspeedway.com. Stay tuned to www.staffordspeedway.com for more driver spotlights and exciting information regarding the CARQUEST Champions for Charities event.
Lia and the CARQUEST Champions For Charities field will sit behind the wheel of Wild Thing Senior Outlaw Go Karts and will race around the Stafford Mini-Mile rather than the half-mile that the field of champion drivers is used to navigating when they come to race at Stafford. CARQUEST Extreme Tuesday will take place on June 28, 2011 and will also feature the ISMA Super Modifieds, NEMA Midgets, and Pro-4 Modifieds. Tickets for CARQUEST Extreme Tuesday are on sale now at the Speedway Box Office and are priced at $30.00 for adult general admission tickets, $5.00 for children ages 6-14, and children ages 5 and under are admitted free of charge when accompanied by an adult. Reserved seating is priced at $32.00 for all ages. As always, Stafford Motor Speedway offers free parking with overnight parking available.
For more information, contact the Stafford Motor Speedway track office at 860-684-2783 or visit us on the web at www.staffordspeedway.com.
Sources: Scott Running/Stafford Motor Speedway PR