hearing movie producer John Shestak (Blair With Project) and actor Anthony Edwards (formerly of ER) are expected to announce involvement in a NASCAR team for 2004 at Homestead. The names of Bradley Whitford (West Wing) and actress Rene Russo have also been mentioned as involved. The driver will be a young up-and-comer from California.(11-7-2003)
UPDATE: there will be a press conference at Homestead-Miami Superspeedway on Friday, November 14th with actor Anthony Edwards (NBCs ER) and producer John Shestack (Air Force One) for An Announcement Regarding Clean Line Motorsports and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Current Clean Line Motorsports driver is Brandon Whitt.(11-10-2003)
UPDATE 2 – Cure Autism Now Joins Whitt In 2004; Organization involved with Truck team for full season: Brandon Whitt and the Clean Line Motorsports NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series team announced a special new relationship and a full 2004 Truck season. Whitt, a 21-year-old native of El Cajon, Calif., will be joined by The Cure Autism Now Foundation, an international charitable organization of parents, clinicians and leading scientists committed to accelerating the pace of biomedical research in autism through research, education and outreach. (www.cureautismnow.org). While no money from Cure Autism Now (CAN) will go into the race team, supporters of the international organization will use the program to increase awareness of its mission and Clean Line Motorsports will gain an exciting new marking platform. Sponsors will get a great deal more out of this program than just stickers on a race car, as groups like Simple Green, Marsh Super Markets, White Castle Hamburgers and Motor Trend Magazine can attest. A CAN Indy car has found its way onto Letterman, Regis & Kelly, The Today Show and Conan OBrian alongside well-known actor and CAN spokesperson Anthony Edwards. Whitt and his Clean Line Motorsports team made the announcement in Homestead before the start of the season finale with the help of Edwards, a leader among many celebrities who are supporting Cure Autism Now, and who is assisting with raising the Foundations profile. Edwards is also on the board of directors for the organization, along with scientists, parents, and CAN founder and film producer Jonathan Shestack, as well as such names in entertainment as Rene Russo, Jane Kazcmarek and Brad Whitford.
Our goal through this program is to continue spreading the word and letting people know we need help for Cure Autism Now, said Edwards. There is no better method in sports marketing than motorsports. We have been involved in the Indianapolis 500 for the past four years, and the response has been tremendous. Our feeling is a full year in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with Brandon Whitt and Clean Line Motorsports will also lead to a great response in terms of donations and awareness of autism and the efforts to end it.”
He adjusts and learns very quickly, said crew chief Jerry Pitts, a veteran who has worked with some of the top names in stock car racing. Brandon can take a couple of laps around a race track and have a pretty good idea of what that track is all about. Give him 20 laps and he is ready for the place. I give him credit in other ways too. For example, we went to Las Vegas a few weeks ago and he was pretty fast his first laps around the track, Pitts added. I found out later that, on his own, he chased down a few veteran drivers and asked them some pretty good questions about the place. They like him, so they told him what he needed to know. Whitt is already prepared mentally for the full season next year. Were going to run all of the races and take a run at Rookie of the Year. Ive got a good group of people to work with and some winning experience behind me, so I dont see any reason we cant reach our goals as a race team and help Cure Autism Now achieve its goals as well. Pitts is a veteran crew chief who worked in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series with Bill Elliott, then moved to lead Eric Norris to the 2002 NASCAR Winston West Championship. Marty Gaunt is general manager, coming to the team after a winning stint with Penske Racing. The Cure Autism Now Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and funding autism research and accelerating the pace of scientific progress toward effective treatments and a cure. The organization is the largest private funder of biological research in autism, providing more than $12 million in grants since its inception in 1995.(Williams Company PR)(11-15-2003)
