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04/05/2013 |
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CARQUEST
CHAMPIONS FOR CHARITIES DRIVER SPOTLIGHT:
WOODY PITKAT |
 Stafford
Motor Speedway has lined up an impressive field of
current and former open wheel champions for its 3rd
Annual CARQUEST Champions For Charities Event, which
will take place on Friday, June 28th this season.
During the coming weeks, SMS will offer a profile on
each of its championship winning drivers and the
charity they will be racing for and this week's
CARQUEST Champions For Charities spotlight falls on
Woody Pitkat, the 2006 NASCAR Whelen All-American
Series Division 4 Regional Champion, who will be
racing to help support The Victory Junction Gang
Camp.
The Victory Junction Gang Camp was built in honor of
Adam Petty and they provide life-changing
experiences for children with chronic medical
conditions or serious illnesses. Victory Junction
has opened it's doors to over 14,000 children from
all 50 states and 4 countries since opening in 2004.
Located in Randleman, NC, Victory Junction is
partnered with 30 different hospitals to deliver
health care to its campers, who are dealing with
such chronic medical conditions and serious
illnesses as Autism, Cancer, Craniofacial Anomalies,
Diabetes, Hemophilia, Sickle Cell and Spina Bifida.
The cost for a child to attend Victory Junction is
$2,500, but thanks to generous donations, no child
or family incurs that cost.
Last year was Pitkat's second season of fund raising
for Victory Junction and he raised $2,525 for
Victory Junction. Pitkat's efforts included a
"Strike It Up For Victory Junction" bowling event at
Spare Time in Vernon, which he will once again host
this year on Saturday, June 1st. The cost to bowl
will be $25, which includes bowling, shoes, and
lunch with a portion of the proceeds going towards
Victory Junction.
"We're working on some ideas for this year," said
Pitkat. "We're going to have the bowling deal again
and usually I ask people that I race with and work
with if they can help out with some donations. That
will be a good start and we're hoping we can raise
more money than we did last year and have a good
starting spot for the race."
Last year's CARQUEST Champions For Charities feature
event saw Pitkat finish 6th after leading several
laps in the early going. Pitkat led several laps in
the first CARQUEST Champions For Charities feature
event, and he is hoping that he can get a better
finish in this year's 15-lap feature. Pitkat even
has an eye on which Senior Outlaw kart he will race
in the feature.
"My goal is to win the race for Victory Junction,"
said Pitkat. "I've run well in the last two races
and I've led laps in both races. If we can't win,
then at least we're hoping to finish better than we
have. Mike Royce, who won the championship in the
Senior Outlaws this year, and his dad Albert both
work on my SK crew, so hopefully I can race in one
of their karts since we help each other out."
In addition to racing in the CARQUEST Champions For
Charities feature event, Pitkat will have a full
plate of racing ahead of him in 2013. Pitkat will
run the full SK Modified® schedule as a teammate to
Joey Cipriano for Steve Greer's Gunsmoke Stables
team in the SK Modified® division, while also racing
full-time in the Late Model division for Billy Snow,
Sr. Pitkat will also be part of the Whelen Modified
Tour fields at Stafford, driving the #79 for car
owner Sandra Hill, and he is looking forward to the
Stafford races this year after finishing second in
last year's CARQUEST Fall Final.
"Everything is new for the SK and the Tour this
year," said Pitkat. "I'm excited to go back to
Stafford with the 79 after how well we ran in the
Fall Final and anytime you have something new in the
SK's it's going to be exciting. In the Late Models,
we have a championship to defend, so that's exciting
too, so I guess you could say that my word for the
season is excitement."
The starting lineups for the CARQUEST Champions For
Charities 15-lap feature 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 Victory
Junction Gang Camp on behalf of Woody Pitkat, 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, which will take place
on Friday, June 28.
For more information, contact the Stafford Motor
Speedway track office at 860-684-2783 or visit us on
the web at
www.staffordspeedway.com. |
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Source: Scott Running / Stafford Motor Speedway
Posted: April
5, 2013 |
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