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Patrick Earns Scholarship to Renowned Human Performance International
POMONA, Calif. -- Danica Patrick was named 2002 recipient of The Gorsline
Human Performance International Development Scholarship. By earning the HPI
scholarship, Patrick will participate in HPI's renowned two-day Driver
Performance Enhancement Program.
The Gorsline Company annually presents the Human Performance
International Scholarship to a young, aspiring driver who consistently
displays exceptional talent and a professional respect for motorsports. The
award is presented at the Awards Banquet of the American Auto Race Writers
and Broadcasters Association.
Patrick started racing Karts at age ten, finishing second overall in her
first year of competition. She went on to compete on a national and
international level for the next four years, winning countless races and
championships.
At age sixteen, Patrick went to England to race. In 1999 Patrick ran the
full Formula Vauxhall series in England with Tim Sugden Motorsports,
finishing ninth overall for the season. Patrick was the only woman driver in
the Formula Ford series, one of the most competitive series in all of motor
racing. She finished second in the 2000 Formula Ford Festival, the
highest-ever finish for an American driver. For the past two years Patrick
raced in the Zetek Formula Ford Championship with Haywood Racing, the Mygale
factory team. Patrick finished ninth overall in 2000.
Nineteen-year old Danica Patrick returned to the United States after
three years overseas. She's since tested with several race teams including
the PTG BMW team and the Dorricott Racing Toyota Atlantic team. Patrick is
exploring several options for this season.
HPI profiles a racer's strength and weakness in five major areas:
Physical Readiness, Mental Skills, Dynamic Visual Skills, Nutritional Status,
and Medical Status. This profile provides the basis for an individual
specific training program designed to improve a driver's performance.
Human Performance International started at McGill University in Montreal,
and has been at the forefront of studying human performance for athletes
since 1983. Now located in Huntersville, North Carolina, HPI has evaluated
hundreds of amateur and professional race car drivers, building a data base
of human performance statistics and developing effective training programs.
It has been recognized internationally for its effective role in the
enhancement of driver performance. Many driver development programs have
contacted HPI to be part of their athletic training programs. Formula One
drivers, as well as drivers from NASCAR, CART, IRL, SCCA, ALMS, and Grand-Am
have been evaluated by HPI. Among those are Ayrton Senna, Jeff Gordon,
Emerson Fittipaldi, and Nigel Mansel.
Previous winners of The Gorsline Company scholarship include FedEx CART
driver, BRYAN HERTA; NASCAR driver, JERRY NADEAU; Toyota Atlantic Champion
BUDDY RICE; and NASCAR/sports car driver, ANTHONY LAZZARO. BRYAN SELLERS,
winner of the 2000 scholarship, is the 2001 Team USA Scholarship winner and
is currently racing in New Zealand in the New Zealand Formula Ford Series.
This year, as last, he will race in the US F2000 Series.
Butch Leitzinger was awarded the 1997 HPI scholarship. Leitzinger has
raced for several years with Dyson Racing in sports cars and endurance races,
winning many races and championships. He raced last year with the Bentley
LMP program at Le Mans and finished on the podium. Leitzinger has also raced
Trans-Am and NASCAR, and this season will contest the full Trans-Am series
with Tom Gloy Racing. This is in addition to the sports car races with Dyson
Racing in American Le Mans Series and Grand-Am Series, as well as Le Mans
with the Bentley team.
John Gorsline has awarded the scholarship to the HPI Driver Enhancement
Program for the past nine years, as part of his dedication to promoting and
enhancing the career path of future champions.
The Gorsline Companies, headquartered in Rochester, New York, pioneered the
business of providing insurance for high-risk professionals. The companies
specialize in racing drivers and owners, providing custom-designed insurance
packages and full financial planning services.
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