Legendary Race Car Drivers Join BMW CCA Foundation Honorary Committee For Capital Campaign

$7 Million Campaign Set to Raise Funds for Street Survival® Teen Driver Safety Education and the Foundation Library, Archives and Museum

Greenville, SC (July 14, 2014) — The BMW Car Club of America (CCA) Foundation announced today that three renowned race car drivers – Skip Barber, David Hobbs and R.J. Valentine – have joined the Honorary Committee for “The Ultimate Driving Community . . . Building the Foundation” Capital Campaign of the BMW CCA Foundation, a campaign to raise funds for teen driver safety programs and the preservation of BMW history.

As members of the Honorary Committee, Barber, Hobbs and Valentine are sharing their motorsports passion by supporting educational programs that give back to the automotive community – primarily teaching teens through the Street Survival® program to survive their most dangerous years on the road.  Honorary Committee members will help influence and encourage others to endorse the expansion of Street Survival and support the Foundation’s new building and land acquisition.

“We are thrilled to have these celebrated race car drivers join our Honorary Committee,” said Leo Newland, president, BMW CCA Foundation. “With the support of the Honorary Committee, I am confident we will reach not only our $7 million campaign goal, but also meet the target of doubling the number of Street Survival classes offered over the next five years.”

Street Survival is built upon the premise that safe driving is learned by doing.  With the help of corporate sponsors Tire Rack, Michelin, BMW NA and Enterprise, the BMW CCA Foundation has offered subsidized car control training to teenagers across the United States since 2003. The program is hands-on and is designed to go beyond the typical high school driver’s education course. Street Survival is unique in that it offers students instruction in their own cars so that they learn the limitations of the car they drive daily. With volunteers and support from the BMW CCA, the Sports Car Club of America, the Porsche Club of America, the Corvette Club of America and the Audi Club North America, the BMW CCA Foundation held 101 schools in over 65 locations in 2013.

To date, the Capital Campaign has raised $1.3 million towards the goal of $7 million. Stay tuned for campaign updates and profiles of Honorary Committee members. To help support teen driver education, preserve BMW history and contribute to the campaign, visit the BMW CCA Foundation website.

About BMW Car Club of America Foundation

The BMW Car Club of America Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of teen driver safety and the preservation of BMW history. Established in 2002 in Greenville, SC with initial capitalization from the BMW Car Club of America, the Foundation focuses on three initiatives to foster educational programs for the automotive community and be a significant repository of BMW information and history:  Street Survival® teen driver safety program; the Library, Archive & Museum Program; and the Conservation and Preservation Program. Through “The Ultimate Driving Community . . . Building the Foundation” Capital Campaign launched in 2013, the Foundation has raised $1.3 million of the $7 million required to support and grow these initiatives that will help save lives and preserve the legacy of BMW’s heritage.

“We were very impressed with how [John’s] driving skills improved in one day last year. His college doesn’t allow freshmen or sophomores living on campus to have a car so he isn’t driving for most of nine months. We are bringing him home for this school, then back to college for a few weeks before summer break. Next term the car goes to college too.”

Susan S., San Francisco, CA