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04/29/2008
Cabo Wobble
By Michael Rinker, Best Friends Animal Society
 For
several days leading up to Sunday’s Firestone
Indy Lights race at the Kansas Speedway, driver
Andrew Prendeville was so sick he didn’t know
whether he’d be behind the wheel of the Best
Friends number 5 car. After all, you don’t want
to be light-headed and drowsy while driving in
heavy traffic at more than 180 miles per hour.
Andrew was cleared of any serious maladies by
the staff at the speedway medical clinic, who
said he likely was suffering from allergies or
perhaps the flu. After a good practice session
on Saturday – where he had the third fastest
time – he opted to run the race.
Had he known what awaited him just 25 laps into
the race, he might have chosen to just stay in
bed.
Cyndie Allemann lost control of her car in turn
2 of the 1.5-mile tri-oval, slid up the track
and clipped the front of the Best Friends car.
It spun into the wall then back across the track
– barely missing a pack of cars racing by – into
the grass and out of the race.
Andrew says it may have been the hardest hit
he’s taken in Indy Lights racing. Allemann,
whose car is sponsored by Cabo Wabo tequila,
gave Andrew a bottle of the stuff as a peace
offering.
Some of the sting was taken out of the incident
when Andrew’s teammate J.R. Hildebrand went on
to win the race, and one of his best friends in
the Indy Lights series, Robbie Pecorari,
finished a close second.
Andrew, who’d been running in the top 10, placed
23rd and though he completed just 25 of the 67
laps, he raised $2,656 for Racing Laps
for Best Friends. About a quarter of
the way through the season, the promotion has
raised $16,379. Combined with other fund-racing
features, including a raffle and merchandise
sales, Andrew’s partnership with Best Friends
has brought in nearly $23,500.
Racing Laps for Best Friends encourages animal
lovers and race fans to pledge a nominal amount
– as low as 25 cents – for each lap Andrew
completes in a single race or throughout the
season. They can also donate a one-time flat
amount.
Click here for details.
The top three prizes in the raffle are lessons
at the Bertil Roos Racing School.
Click here for details and to buy a
raffle ticket.
Another feature of Racing Laps are PetStops,
which feature Andrew and the Best Friends number
5 car at a local rescue where kids can sit
inside to see what a real race car looks like
and get their pictures taken behind the wheel.
Andrew will be there to sign autographs and talk
to fans. The PetStop at Kansas City was
cancelled because he was too sick to attend.
The PetStops will introduce people to local
rescues, which can use the opportunity to hold
an adoptathon and provide education about
responsible pet care.
The next Indy Lights race is the biggest one of
the season – the Freedom 100 at the Indianapolis
Motor Speedway on May 23. Andrew finished fourth
there last year.
Fans can make their pledges for the next race and the other
races remaining
on the schedule on this website.
Click here
to make your pledge!
In addition to donations, Bertil Roos Racing
School raffle tickets to benefit Best Friends
are available on this website.
Click here to enter the raffle!
Additional information is available at
bestfriends.org and
andrewprendeville.com.
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