Help Find These Special Helmets!

Cambridge, ON - September 9, 2014
Photos via Jason Cherry & Racing With Autism

There are some posts that just make your insides turn and this is one of them, unfortunately.

Sometime in the last 24 hours, thieves broke into the race hauler for Racing With Autism and stole both of Austin Riley's helmets and the team's laptop with all their race setup and data on it.  It's a crippling blow to a young man that has struggled so hard to get to where he is.

While both the laptop and the helmets can be replaced with new ones, the memories associated with those two helmets can't be replaced, nor can the data on the laptop.

You see, Austin was wearing one of those helmets the day Brooke and I met him.  He was wearing one of those helmets when he met retired Formula One driver Rubens Barrichello.  He was wearing one of those helmets when he became the first driver with Autism to graduate from Skip Barber Race School.  Austin was wearing one of those helmets when he won one of his championships.  The top picture for this post is a special photo taken when Austin met Jason Cherry of the Pirelli World Challenge Series.  Jason supports the American Autism Society and has a brother on the Autism spectrum.

Those helmets aren't just race helmets.  They are a treasure trove of special memories for a young man that needs those memories far more than most of us do.  Those helmets are worth far more to Austin than they could ever be to the thieves that stole them.

It's a cruel and heartless thing to take away a young man's memories like this.  It's like ripping out a part of his soul.  What MUST happen here is that these helmets are found and returned to Austin Riley.

Any other outcome is completely unacceptable and completely unthinkable.

NOTE:  If you have information on these helmets, please contact Racing With Autism.

~Colene~

From Mid-Ohio to Morocco They Were Inspiring

Chase Pelletier leads the TCB Class at Mid-Ohio.

Cambridge, ON - August 5, 2014
Photo via Motorsport.com

There were a lot of inspiring folks out this past weekend doing a whole bunch of awesome and inspiring things.  Here's a quick round-up of some of our favourite moments.

Tony Harris moved mountains for himself and other wounded soldiers when he helped to found Row2Recovery and Race2Recovery.  The Dakar Rally-Raid driver decided that rather than move the mountain, this time he'd climb it.  He took on the challenge of climbing Mt. Toubkal in Morocco this past weekend with his wife Liz and raised over 3,000 pounds for Help for Heroes and BLESMA.  That's a 13,671 foot climb.  He's still able to take donations for the climb.  If you'd like to donate, follow this LINK.

How many Type 1 Diabetic race car drivers competed at Mid-Ohio this past weekend?  Answer - Two.  The first, and most well known, is IndyCar driver Charlie Kimball who finished 7th after a cut and slice drive through the field from 17th place.  The second driver is a less well known young man that Charlie Kimball mentored from Brampton, Ontario named Chase Pelletier.  We met Chase at the Honda Indy Toronto a few weeks ago.  Chase took the pole and the win in the Pirelli World Challenge TCB class over veteran driver John Heinricy (Yes, THAT John Heinricy).  Chase normally races Formula 1600's (Formula Fords).  He was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes 9 years ago, and he has been inspired and helped along by the inroads forged by Charlie Kimball.

We're also going to throw out an honourable mention to a fantastic young man that's out there spreading a great message.  Eighteen year-old Jason Cherry competes under the banner of the American Autism Society in the Pirelli World Challenge TCA class.  He's a big supporter of Canadian racer Austin Riley, as well as supporting Autism Awareness, because Cherry's older brother is on the Autism spectrum.  Cherry made the podium on the weekend at Mid-Ohio while flying the flag for Autism.

That's a quick recap of the weekend's dose of Inspiration at Speed.  We're feeling pretty inspired by it all, how about you?