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Press Releases by Annette Blenkarn
August 19, 2003
Annette
Blenkarn is Even Closer to Her Autoracing Career Goals Then
Before
“I’ve
wanted to tell everyone everything that was a result of my
Indianapolis trip as soon as I got home, but I’ve had
to wait until things had been signed and sealed before I could
release this information” exclaimed Annette Blenkarn.
Miss
Blenkarn is pursuing a professional auto racing career. Last
May, Blenkarn was invited to Indianapolis to be part of Lyn
St. James Women in the Winners Circle luncheon held just before
the Indianapolis 500. She was privileged enough to be invited
by Panther Racing to stay and watch the Indy 500 from their
suite.
“Having
the opportunity to be in the garage and pit areas allowed
me to make many career changing contact’s, it also gave
me a good understanding of how a professional team operates
at major events. I really need to thank everyone at Panther
Racing for their hospitality”
One
of those contacts is her now manager, David Lewis from Cary
Agajanian’s firm Motorsports Management International.
Motorsports Management handles such autoracing talents as
Tony Stewart, PJ Jones, Billy Boat, Dave Blaney, and Robbie
McGee to name a few.
Lewis
has already set Blenkarn up with her future Fran-Am Team owned
and in the process of being setup by race car driver Richie
Hearn. Hearn has an extensive list of racing championships,
at this year Indy 500 Hearn drove an entry fielded by Sam
Schmidt Motorsports after the team leased a car from Penske
Racing, Inc. Hearn will also be Blenkarn’s on track coach
for her Fran-Am driving experience.
To
fund Blenkarn’s Fran-Am endeavour, Lewis has also arranged
her first sponsor: Cortec Corporation. Cortec is a chemical
company that produces over 550 products, most of which are
corrosion and rust prohibiting chemicals that are environmentally
friendly. With that said Lewis and Blenkarn are also currently
working on another four sponsorship undertakings.
“I’m
pleased to have David as my manager; he sincerely wants to
see me reach my career ambitions and is doing what he can
to help me achieve them”
Another
contact that was a result of Blenkarn’s trip to Indianapolis
was the introduction to Vicky O’Conner, the president
of the Toyota Atlantic’s series owned by CART. This resulted
in Blenkarn being invited to Portland’s CART race where
she was then introduced to various Atlantic teams and CART
officials.
“One
thing keeps leading to another, everything is starting to
come into place and I can see the light at the end of the
tunnel. Networking has got to be one of the most important
things you can do in the Motorsports industry” explains
Blenkarn.
Blenkarn
continues to strive for her first Fran-Am career start at
this coming 2004 Winter Pro Series. “We will be doing
testing this fall and winter to prepare for my debut in Florida
at the beginning of 2004”. Blenkarn goes on to say “Of
course funding is an issue, but I have a team of people that
are diligently helping me overcome this hurdle.”
In
the meantime, Blenkarn will be in driver development. She
has sold her sports car and is testing a Kart. Blenkarn will
do some competitions with Karting; her schedule is to be announced.
Blenkarn
is also continuing volunteer at Pacific Riding for the Disabled
in Langley, and has also begun helping Junior Achievement
of British Columbia.
Blenkarn
will be working with Junior Achievements in forming a new
program titled “Dream Big”. The “Dream Big”
program is in its developmental stages, its purpose is to
help students define their own dreams and help students determine
how to achieve them.
In
November Blenkarn will be an event speaker at this year’s
Junior Achievements “World of Choices” affair. This
one day conference will be filled with a variety of interactive
sessions for 200 grade 11 & 12 students from schools across
the Greater Vancouver Regional District.
World
of Choices is an annual event designed to empower young women
to pursue the careers of their dreams, make decisions regarding
their futures, and to learn valuable lessons from successful
women in the community.
“I’m
glade to have the opportunity to show students that it is
possible to pursue your dreams, even if it is against the
odds. With skill, perseverance and dedication anything is
possible”
Blenkarn
has overall 91 career podiums, 38 career wins, and has achieved
many championship standings. She began racing in 1990 with
Quarter Midgets, then progressed to Mini Sprints when she
was 16 years of age. In 2002 she made the move to road course
with Sports Car racing. She has also driven Stock cars, Legends,
and has competed in an Ice Racing event. Now she is driving
Karts for her driver development until she moves into her
Fran-Am 2000 Pro car.
Blenkarn
is on the move doing what she can to succeed, and inspire
others. Keep an eye out for this up-and-coming professional
driver at her web site www.AnnetteRacing.com.
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