The Firestone Tire and Rubber Company will be presenting sponsor for the RRDC’s Evening with Mario Andretti April 10. This will be Firestone’s fifth consecutive year supporting the club’s Legends Banquet held annually in conjunction with the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.
Also in its fifth consecutive year supporting the RRDC’s Long Beach celebration is American Honda Motor Company which will host the cocktail reception prior to the banquet.
Joining the celebration this year is TUDOR Watch U.S.A., the Entitlement Partner of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship.
“Our first Legends Banquet honoring Dan Gurney in 2009 became an instant tradition, sure to become a fixture of the run-up to the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach,” said RRDC President Bobby Rahal. “In 2010, the motorsports industry was on board with Firestone as presenting sponsor and American Honda hosting the reception. We are proud to say, they are still with us.
“Led by Firestone and American Honda, we have been blessed with excellent supporters over the years. For this year’s celebration we welcome TUDOR,” Rahal said.
“Firestone has the longest record of continual involvement in motorsports of any company in the world,” Rahal said, “And we are honored by their participation in the legends banquet. It is particularly noteworthy that Mario was a Firestone driver during the early part of his amazing career and still serves as a company spokesman and worldwide motorsports ambassador.”
John Mendel, Executive Vice President, Automobile Division, American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “Mario’s long career encompassed every major racing championship from Indy cars to Formula 1 and even NASCAR, and he won in them all.” Rahal added that American Honda’s presence and record in North American racing competition is remarkable in its own light.
Russell Kelly, Brand Manager for Tudor Watch U.S.A. said, “Over his long career, Mario established records in racing that are, remarkably, still untouched 20 years after his retirement from active competition; in American pop culture his name is synonymous with speed.” TUDOR is a subsidiary of ROLEX, another long time supporter of motorsports.
The dinner’s proceeds will help support the RRDC’s young driver initiatives, including its groundbreaking SAFEISFAST.com program and the Team USA Scholarship, which the RRDC has backed since 1997.