Racing For Kids® gets back on track with two special kick off events, part of the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Pete – the season opening race of the 2024 NTT INDYCAR Series. First up on Thursday, March 7, Racing For Kids will bring AJ Foyt Racing’s Santino Ferrucci and Sting Ray Robb to Johns […]
On Friday Verizon IndyCar Series rookies Matheus Leist and Rene Binder will drive for the first time on Detroit’s famed Belle Isle Park road course. They are apprehensive and excited by the challenge and said so to several dozen Children’s Hospital of Michigan patients Thursday during a Racing For Kids® stop at the hospital’s Specialty Center.
“I heard it can get a little bumpy,” Leist offered. Both he and Binder said they hope to have a short learning curve in preparing for the two-race weekend.
In the course of their 90 minute visit, the two young racers signed hero cards, handed out dozens of red Racing for Kids caps, happily posed for a myriad of pictures, and assisted youngsters as they got into a 2018 IndyCar Showcar provided by the Detroit Grand Prix officials.
They also helped Racing For Kids CEO, Pat Wright, present portable Pediatric Heart Monitors (Ticker Trackers) to the Children’s Hospital of Michigan Cardiology Staff. The high-tech devices enable young high-risk heart surgery patients to go home early while being constantly monitored. “These monitors are only for very high risk patients,” said Dr. Richard Humes, Chief of Pediatric Cardiology. ”We are able to send them home early while confidently keeping track of their condition and recovery.”
With Dr. Hume were Dr. Daniel Turner, Pediatric cardiologist, and Colette Squire, RN and Coordinator of the Pediatric Heart Monitor Program.
“It is great to show you what we have done with Racing For Kids’ generous and important donation…” added Dr. Turner.
For Racing For Kids, Thursday’s program had the feel of a”Homecoming Weekend” celebration since the popular IndyCar charity was founded at Children’s Hospital of Michigan in 1989. Several years later, it established its own 501 © 3 Not For Profit Foundation.
After making sure no child left without autographs and pictures, Leist and Binder headed straight to the Belle Isle track for critical afternoon meetings with their engineers to develop a strategy for Friday’s challenging practices and qualifying sessions.
