Patrick Long, the young California racer who will compete in this year's Slick 50 Formula Ford Zetec Championship in England, was recently named the 2001 recipient of The Gorsline Company Human Performance International Development Scholarship.  By earning the HPI scholarship, Long will participate in HPI's renowned two-day Driver Performance Enhancement Program.

Long's physical and mental abilities will be put to the test in 2001. Driving for the Van Diemen works team, Long will be a favorite in the Formula Ford Championship, acknowledged as the most competitive junior series in the world.  Last year in the Zetec Series, he scored eight Top-Ten finishes in fourteen starts, as well as earning a factory ride for this season.  Long won one race, secured two pole positions, and was consistently quick in testing and practice.

The HPI program profiles a racer's strength and weaknesses in five major areas:  Physical Readiness, Mental Skills, Dynamic Visual Skills, Nutritional Status, and Medical Status.  On the basis of this profile, specific training programs are designed to improve a driver's physical and mental performance. 
   
Started at McGill University in Montreal, HPI 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.  As a result many driver development programs have contacted HPI to be a part of their driver training programs.    Many drivers from Formula One, CART, NASCAR, IRL, SCCA, ALMS, and Grand-Am have been evaluated by HPI.  Among those are Ayrton Senna, Jeff Gordon, Emerson Fittipaldi and Nigel Mansel.

For the past ten years, John Gorsline, president of The Gorsline Company -- a pioneer in the business of insuring high-risk professionals -- has been awarding a scholarship to the HPI Driver Enhancement program to the hottest young drivers in auto racing.