The No. 4 Children’s Tumor Foundation/Racing4Research/Magnus Racing Porsche GT3 team, and drivers Ryan Eversley, Justin Bell, Daniel Graeff and Ron Yarab, will race in the 50th Rolex 24 At Daytona, January 26 – 29, with the double support of leading online companies eBay Motors and Mobile and Quicken Loans Inc.
The announcement of the team’s dual corporate partnerships was made on the opening day of this weekend’s Roar Before The Rolex 24 Test at Daytona, January 6 – 8, in preparation for the Golden Anniversary running of North America’s premier 24-hour endurance race later this month. The landmark race marks the fifth consecutive year that the Children’s Tumor Foundation (CTF) Racing4Research program has used the worldwide reach of the Rolex 24 as an important fundraiser in the fight against neurofibromatosis (NF), a debilitating disease that causes tumors to grow on nerves throughout the body. The Rolex 24 program has become the annual kickoff event for CTF fundraising each year and donations can be made at http://racing4research.org.
The 2012 CTF/Racing4Reasearch campaign is by far the team’s strongest effort to date. In addition to the talented group of drivers, and the team’s first year relationship with top Porsche entrant Magnus Racing, the No. 4 team’s sponsor lineup brings an unprecedented level of corporate support and online reach to the CTF/Racing4Research effort. Including eBay Motors and Mobile, eBay is the world’s largest online marketplace while Quicken Loans is the nation’s largest online retail mortgage lender, and among the five largest overall retail home lenders in the United States.
The Rolex 24 support for CTF/Racing4Research follows successful debuts by both eBay Motors and eBay Mobile and Quicken Loans into major-league motorsports late last year. Bell co-drove an eBay Mobile-backed AF Corse Ferrari F-430 to a third-place class finish in October’s Petit Le Mans race, while Quicken Loans formed a partnership with NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) shortly before team co-owner and driver Tony Stewart won his third series championship in November.
“The growth of our program over the past four years has been remarkable,” said Jill Beck, Director of the Racing4Research program for the Children’s Tumor Foundation. “In addition to our four dedicated drivers committed to supporting the work of the Foundation on and off the track, we have two incredible corporate partners in eBay Motors and Mobile and Quicken Loans that will further elevate our program. We are honored to have these two companies as partners in our race to fuel the cure for NF.”
Part of the attraction for both the eBay brands and Quicken Loans to the No. 4 CTF/Racing4Research team is a live pitside web cast that Magnus Racing will be conducting throughout the entire Rolex 24 race. Drivers from both the No. 4 and No. 44 Magnus Porsche teams, including recently crowned NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year Andy Lally, will appear in the web cast, which will also be used as a primary fundraising tool for Racing4Research. The live web cast will be viewable at http://cc.ebay.com/worlds-fastest-car-show/, or by downloading the eBay Motors Mobile app for iPhone.
“We are thrilled to be supporting the No. 4 Racing4Research Porsche with Justin Bell and his teammates at the wheel,” said Famous Rhodes, Senior Director of eBay Motors. “eBay Motors is the ultimate automotive marketplace, and the Rolex 24 At Daytona is the ultimate endurance race in North America. The live webcast of our team’s efforts will be a first for eBay Motors and adds to the full gear-head experience that our users have come to expect. Plus, the web cast will expose the great work of the Children’s Tumor Foundation and Racing4Research to millions of eBay Motors visitors, raising awareness and funds for this important cause.”
The No. 4 CTF/Racing4Reseach Porsche GT3’s Rolex 24 campaign will also be featured later this year in a second season episode of “The World’s Fastest Car Show Hosted by Justin Bell,” a unique web, mobile and app-accessible show available only at eBay Motors and on eBay Mobile. Bell will also be giving live reports during SPEED’s broadcast of the Rolex 24 from inside the No. 4 CTF/Racing4Research Porsche during his driving stints. In addition to hosting the “World’s Fastest Car Show,” Bell is in his fifth year as a SPEED reporter.
Like eBay, Quicken Loans is also its industry’s online leader – closing more than $30 billion in home loans in 2011, while maintaining a 94 percent client satisfaction rating.
“We are excited to continue our partnership with the Children’s Tumor Foundation, and we’re doing our part to increase awareness of NF and the need for a cure,” said Jay Farner, President of Quicken Loans. “We look forward to taking to the track and the Internet to raise funds and the visibility of the Children’s Tumor Foundation.”
Roar Before the Rolex 24 At Daytona testing continues through Sunday while the The 50th Anniversary Rolex 24 At Daytona will take place January 26 – 29.
Source: CTF / RFR
