On the heels of last August’s successful inaugural walkathon event at Michigan International Speedway (MIS), NASCAR racing legend Ernie Irvan and the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) have today announced the 2006 dates for Irvan’s LAPS Walk, and have added the Pocono Raceway in Pocono, PA as an additional location. The event, which allows participants to walk the racetrack alongside Irvan and other current and former NASCAR drivers to raise awareness and funding for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) prevention and treatment, will occur on Friday, July 21 at Pocono (after Cup qualifying,) and Wednesday, August 16 at MIS in Brooklyn, MI. Irvan and the BIAA are also working on additional track locations for LAPS Walk and are expected to announce them soon. For a minimum $100 entry fee, anyone is able to participate and walk side-by-side with Irvan, as well as other current and former NASCAR drivers to raise money for TBI education, awareness and prevention. Registration for each event will begin on Friday, April 21, 2006. Interested individuals can register online at www.lapswalk.org. There are only a limited amount of walker positions available for each event and it is expected that registration will fill very quickly. In February of 2004, Irvan formed a non-profit organization called Race2Safety in order to educate the public about TBI and spearhead development of next-generation transportation head protection safety equipment for adults and children. Race2Safety is now a part of the Brain Injury Association of America, providing Ernie with the ability to spread his message across the country.(Marketwire.com)(4-30-2006)
