CARQUEST CHAMPIONS FOR CHARITIES DRIVER SPOTLIGHT: BOBBY SANTOS, III
(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.
Bobby Santos, III, the 2010 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Champion, will be
racing to help raise funds for the USAC Benevolent Fund to support Eric
Saunders. Eric Saunders, the son of Hoosier Tire’s Irish Saunders, was
injured in a motocross crash while he was practicing for the Steel City
National at his home track last year and he is now on the road to recovery.
The money that Bobby Santos, III raises will go towards helping Eric’s
family purchase equipment for his rehabilitation.
“We’re good friends with Irish Saunders and I knew about Eric’s accident
last year,” said Santos. “Being a young driver myself, I could identify
with what happened to Eric. With him being so young and to have an accident
that potentially could end his racing career, I can’t imagine what that
would feel like, not only for Eric, but for his friends and family as well.
I’ve never driven a caged go kart before, so this race should be a lot of
fun and hopefully we can raise a lot of money for Eric in the process.”
The USAC Benevolent Fund was established in 1959 as a way to help provide
support for individuals such as drivers, officials, organizers, and
mechanics who have ties to USAC and Indy Racing League competition. Since
1959, the USAC Benevolent Fund has committed hundreds of thousands of
dollars to assist members and their families in time of need.
Although he is only 25 years old, Bobby Santos, III has built up quite the
racing resume. Santos began his racing career in the quarter midget ranks
and in 2000, at the age of 14, he moved into open wheeled competition by
racing modifieds at New Smyrna Speedway and a 350 Supermodified at Star
Speedway. In his first season of 350 Super competition at Star, Santos won
a race and set a track record that still stands today. Santos continued his
foray into the world of open wheels, racing ISMA Supermodifieds, USAC
Sprints, USAC Midgets, and USAC Silver Crown cars. Santos is a Boston Louie
NEMA winner and an ISMA Bud Nationals winner at Oswego. Santos led all
drivers with 5 USAC Midget wins in 2006 and the 2006 season also saw Santos
take home a $50,000 bonus from CARQUEST Auto Parts and Valvoline as he won
the Midget and PRA Big Car races in the same night at Stafford. Santos won
his first career Whelen Modified Tour event at Thompson in 2007 and the 2009
season saw him win races in USAC Sprints, Midgets, and Silver Crown cars.
The 2010 season saw him move into the #4 Mystic Missile owned by Bob
Garbarino and he won 3 of the first four races of the season on his way to
his first career NASCAR championship. Santos will look to defend his
championship with the Garbarino Mystic Missile #4 for the 2011 NASCAR Whelen
Modified Tour season.
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 USAC Benevolent Fund For Eric Saunders
on behalf of Bobby Santos, III, 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.
Santos 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