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Gale Banks Joins Racing Legends Signing Pinewood Racer for SEMA Charity Auction

The highly-anticipated second annual SEMA Pinewood Drag Race, presented by eBay Motors, will be held on August 1, 2009, at the Pasadena Convention Center in Pasadena.

Banks Power will be represented this year with a red and black mini-racer which will carry the signature of company President and founder Gale Banks.

Banks is one of well over one hundred legendary personalities from the automotive world who have personalized Pinewood Derby cars built by kids in the Childhelp and Victory Junction Gang Camp programs especially for this event. The race was established in 2008 to raise money for the two charities. Childhelp is an organization that assists abused and neglected children, and Victory Junction Gang Camp provides life-changing camping experiences to disabled and chronically ill children.

All of the Pinewood cars will be on display at the Pasadena Civic on race day August 1 and, starting at 10am, each will take its turn on the 50-foot-long downhill dragstrip. Later that afternoon all of the uniquely-autographed Pinewood cars will be auctioned off to the public. Last year’s auction took in $40,000 for the two charities, and with the list of automotive legends who have (personally!) added their names this year, anticipation is sky high on the fans bettering that number.

The day-long series of drag races is one of the main attractions of Specialty Equipment Market Association’s inaugural “Show’N’Shine” event at the newly-refurbished Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Old Town Pasadena. An indoor car show, this brand new event will feature Classics, Hot Rods, Muscle, Rat Rods, and all manner of special interest cars and trucks in a elegant car show setting. Noted car designer Chip Foose will serve as the show’s Grand Marshall.

Unlike the annual SEMA Show in Las Vegas, this exhibition is open to the public and costs only $5.00 to attend (kids under 12 are free) with all proceeds going to benefit the above two children’s charities. The day-long (9am -3pm) event will be followed by the annual SEMA Installation Banquet & Gala Fundraiser, where the 2009 SEMA Hall of Fame inductees will be announced.

Gravity-powered Pinewood Derby cars have been around since 1953 when the first races were staged by a Los Angeles Scoutmaster who thought the idea up as an inexpensive alternative to building a full-scale Soap Box Derby entry. The idea caught on, and literally millions of such 5-ounce wooden racers have been carved, colorfully-painted, and enthusiastically raced all over the world

In an entry confirmation letter to Banks Power, event organizer Eric Saltrick, of SEMA member company Steele Rubber of Denver, North Carolina said:“For me, the ‘Legends’ that we have gotten involved, like Mister Banks, has made this a very amazing project to be involved with … these are my heroes: Shelby, Banks, Petty, Andretti, Garlits, Prudhomme, Bernstein, Guthrie, Muldowney …”.

We can only add a big “THANK YOU Eric!” (and all the other SEMA members who have worked so hard on this one). See you in Pasadena!

THE STARTING LINEUP
2009 SEMA PINEWOOD GRAND PRIX FOR CHARITY

THE FOLLOWING AUTOMOTIVE ICONS, DRIVERS, CELEBRITIES, ACTIVE RACING DRIVERS, SEMA MEMBERS AND FRIENDS OF SEMA HAVE ALL PERSONALLY AUTOGRAPHED KID-BUILT PINEWOOD DERBY CARS THAT WILL RACE ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 1 IN PASADENA AND THEN GO UP ON THE AUCTION BLOCK THAT AFTERNOON TO THE PUBLIC TO BENEFIT THE CHILDHELP AND VICTORY JUNCTION GANG CAMP CHILDREN’S CHARITIES.

Andy GranatelliAutomotive IconInnovator
Bobby AllisonAutomotive IconNASCAR
Carroll ShelbyAutomotive IconInnovator
Connie KalittaAutomotive IconNHRA
Craig BreedloveAutomotive IconLand Speed Racing
Dave McClellandAutomotive IconLegendary NHRA Announcer
Dennis AndersonAutomotive Icon“The Grave Digger” Truck
Don GarlitsAutomotive IconDrag Racing
Don PrudhommeAutomotive IconDrag Racing
Gale BanksAutomotive IconInnovator
Janet GuthrieAutomotive IconIndy Racing
Joe AmatoAutomotive IconNHRA
Johnny RutherfordAutomotive Icon3-Time Indy Winner
Lynn St. JamesAutomotive IconIndy Racing
Mario AndrettiAutomotive IconWorld Champ/Indy Winner
Marvin PanchAutomotive IconNASCAR
Richard PettyAutomotive Icon200 NASCAR ‘Cup Wins
Shirley MuldowneyAutomotive IconNHRA
The Wood BrothersAutomotive IconNASCAR
Tiger Tom PistoneAutomotive IconStock Car Racing
Alex LloydDriverIndy Racing League
Danica PatrickDriverIndy Racing League
Dario FranchittiDriverIndy Racing League
Heilo CastronevesDriverIndy Racing League
Marco AndrettiDriverIndy Racing League
Ryan BriscoeDriverIndy Racing League
Sarah FisherDriverIndy Racing League
Scott DixonDriverIndy Racing League
Tony KannanDriverIndy Racing League
Will PowerDriverIndy Racing League
Jamie McMurrayDriverNASCAR
Kasey KahneDriverNASCAR
Kurt BuschDriverNASCAR
Rusty & Steve WallaceDriverNASCAR
Allen JohnsonDriverNHRA
Cory McClenathanDriverNHRA
Cruz PedregonDriverNHRA
Doug KalittaDriverNHRA
Greg AndersonDriverNHRA
Hillary WillDriverNHRA
Jack BeckmanDriverNHRAJeff ArendDriverNHRALarry DixonDriverNHRAMatt HaganDriverNHRAMelanie TroxelDriverNHRAMike EdwardsDriverNHRARon CappsDriverNHRATony PedregonDriverNHRATony SchumacherDriverNHRA3 Doors DownCelebrityMusic StarsCarrot TopCelebrityComedianChip FooseDesigner“Overhaulin”Chuck NorrisCelebrityMovie-TV StarClint BlackCelebrityCountry Music StarCourtney HansenCelebrity“Powerblock TV’Davis Love IIIPro GolferPGADennis GageCelebrity“My Classic Car”Dog the Bounty HunterCelebrityTV StarFrank CallendoCelebrityComedianGuy FieriCelebrityFood Network StarHosts: Muscle Car TVCelebrity“Muscle Car TV”Hosts: Extreme 4x4TVCelebrity“Extreme 4×4 TV”Hosts: Horsepower TVCelebrity“Horsepower TV”Hosts: Trucks! TVCelebrity“Trucks! TV”Jay LenoCelebrityCar CollectorLarry The Cable GuyCelebrityMovie-TV StarLee GreenwoodCelebrityMusic StarMike RoweCelebrity“Dirty Jobs”Ryan FriedtnghausCelebrity“Street Customs”Sam MemmoloCelebrity“Two Guys Garage”Stacy DavidCelebrity“Gearz”Tony HawkCelebrityPro SkateboarderVida GuerraCelebrity“Livin’ The Low Life”

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