The list of panelists that will conduct the second RRDC/FIA Young Drivers Symposium in Long Beach, Calif., has been released. It includes a lineup of the sport's and industry's most distinguished experts.
 
The workshop, supported by a grant from the FIA Motor Sport Safety Development Fund, will take place on Saturday, April 17, at the Hilton Hotel, 701 West Ocean Blvd., in Long Beach, Calif., from 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., during the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. It is open to drivers from all motorsports disciplines and there is no cost to attend. However, registration is required and space is limited. Participants are asked to register early at www.rrdc.org. All workshop materials, including a comprehensive workbook, will be provided.

The list of panelists that will conduct the second RRDC/FIA Young Drivers Symposium in Long Beach, Calif., has been released. It includes a lineup of the sport's and industry's most distinguished experts.
 
The workshop, supported by a grant from the FIA Motor Sport Safety Development Fund, will take place on Saturday, April 17, at the Hilton Hotel, 701 West Ocean Blvd., in Long Beach, Calif., from 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., during the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. It is open to drivers from all motorsports disciplines and there is no cost to attend. However, registration is required and space is limited. Participants are asked to register early at www.rrdc.org. All workshop materials, including a comprehensive workbook, will be provided.
 
Once again, Bobby Rahal, Indy 500 winner and president of the RRDC, will lead the "Safe is Fast" workshop - with S.A.F.E. an acronym for Skilled, Assured, Fit, Empowered. He will be joined by the following panelists:
 
Townsend Bell, Sponsorship Coaching, Beverly Hills, Calif. - SPONSORSHIP/BRANDING
The 2001 Indy Lights champion and fourth-place finisher in last year's Indianapolis 500 has raised over $10 million in motorsports sponsorship. His proven track record includes sponsor relationships with companies such as Rock and Republic, Toshiba, Toyota, Maxim, Herbalife and Intel. He has used his talents and experience to help young drivers maximize their personal sponsorship portfolios.
 
Jacques Dallaire, Ph.D., Founder and President, Performance Prime, Concord, N.C. - MENTAL PREPARATION
For over 30 years, Dr. Dallaire has helped thousands to improve their mental skills and achieve their performance goals. More than 650 racers from 40 countries - including Helio Castroneves and Ron Fellows - have benefited from Dr. Dallaire's Performance Enhancement process that helps to develop a broad set of mental skills to perform in challenging situations and underlies championship performance.
 
Jim Leo, C.S.C.S., President, PitFit Training, Inc., Indianapolis - PHYSICAL FITNESS
Leo is renowned as one of auto racing's premier fitness trainers. With a client list that includes Scott Dixon, Kasey Kahne, Dario Franchitti, and rising stars such as J.R. Hildebrand, PitFit Training has grown into a worldwide operation. In 1993 Leo designed a training program and cutting-edge fitness center for Penske Racing. He founded PitFit Training in 1997, offering driver training, pit crew performance training and sports nutrition programs.
 
Stephen Olvey, M.D., Associate Professor/Vice Chairman for Clinical Affairs Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami School of Medicine - SAFETY
Dr. Olvey has been a pioneer in improving driver safety and safety measures for over 30 years. He was Director of Medical Affairs for IndyCar/CART (Championship Auto Racing Teams) and also served as the Medical Director for USAC (United States Auto Club). For over a decade, Dr. Olvey has been co-director (alongside Emerson Fittipaldi) of the International Motorsports and Vehicular Injury Research Center (IMVIRC). He is a Founding Fellow of the FIA Institute for Motorsports Safety and former Chairman and Founding Member of the International Council of Motorsports Sciences (ICMS). He is an author of numerous medical publications.
 
Michael Zimicki, President, Sliderule Motorsport Inc., Bondville,  Vt. - INTEGRATED DRIVING
Zimicki has been providing the tools for success on and off the race track to young drivers for over 25 years. An accomplished racer in his own right, claiming the 1981 Skip Barber Formula Ford championship and serving as both a lead instructor and head test driver at the Skip Barber Racing School for over a decade, he founded Sliderule Motorsport in 1991. Combining driver coaching, data analysis and engineering to maximize a driver's and team’s success, his roster of protégés has included Graham Rahal, Danica Patrick, Jon Fogarty, Ryan Hunter-Reay and 2009 Cooper Tires Atlantic Series champion John Edwards.

The goal of this series of free RRDC/FIA workshops is to help young drivers raise their awareness of safety by teaching them to effectively manage their racing vehicles and themselves in all aspects of their careers.
 
"It's great to have the same panel of industry experts return that we had in the first RRDC/FIA Young Drivers Symposium we held at the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) show last December," said Rahal. "Their presentations were unparalleled in this business, and the participants were very vocal about how much they learned during the four-hour workshop. We are pleased to have the same group join us again. Their input is invaluable to anyone trying to achieve success in the business of auto racing."