Tax Bracket Racing News

Baca's '06 Tribute to 9/11 Victims Will Conclude in Reading
Courtesy of Don Armstrong

September 13th- Fulfilling a commitment he made in mid-June, Mach 1 Air Services Top Fuel driver David Baca will honor the victims of 9/11 with two very special helmet presentations Sunday morning at Maple Grove Raceway.

Both helmets, a genuine New York City firefighter's helmet and a special 9/11 tribute racing helmet, were used as the centerpieces of a massive auction to raise money for the Mark Hindy Charitable Foundation, a 501c3 organization that distributes money to children touched by the 9/11 tragedies. Hindy worked on the 104th floor of the North Tower for Cantor Fitzgerald, and was one of more than 3,000 people who were lost in the attacks. Hindy's father, George, competes in Super Gas in Division 1 and will be racing this weekend at Maple Grove.

Baca helped New Jersey-based sportsman racer Frankie Cicerale kick off this year's second annual auction on June 15 at the K&N Filters Supernationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in New Jersey. The increased awareness Baca generated on ESPN2 and among the professional teams and sponsors in the drag racing community helped Cicerale more than double the amount his raffle raised in it's inaugural year.

"David Baca is a hero to me," Cicerale said. "When he found out what I was doing he jumped in 100 percent. Not only did he take money out of his own pocket, but he got a lot of the pros involved and the donations came pouring in. His sponsor, Mach 1, also was very generous with us, as was Bill Miller Engineering. Without question, we owe much of our success this year to David. He's a genuine guy, the real article."

Baca plans to help Cicerale again in 2007 with an even bigger presence on his racecar and a larger area in his hospitality area for fans to see the items that will be raffled off. Baca also will wear next year's helmet in competition to increase its' uniqueness.

But before he looks to next season, Baca will award this year's grand prizes to Ed Alessi Sr. and Sara Winzer. Alessi, a Super Gas racer from Howard Beach, N.Y., who is racing in Reading, won the firefighter's helmet, while Winzer will receive the 9/11 tribute helmet. Winzer races Super Street but is not competing this weekend.

"I couldn't be prouder of my role in Frankie's raffle," Baca said. "I got involved in this deal after an unscheduled trip to Ground Zero with my family. The 9/11 attacks really hit home with me that day and I realized how lucky I am to live in this country.

"I have two kids and the Mark Hindy Charitable Foundation gives 100-percent of its proceeds to help children, specifically those touched by the loss we all felt on 9/11 five years ago. I couldn't think of a better cause.

"Mike Entzminger, the CEO of Mach 1, and I decided at the beginning of our relationship to use our racecar to help the fans and the communities that support our racing program. We've had visits from Jerry's Kids this year, from the folks with Alex's Lemonade Stand for pediatric cancer research, from the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, and from Donate Life, which raises awareness for organ and tissue donation. But I think by far the thing that has touched people the most in this raffle because 9/11 is something that defined this generation of Americans."

Baca's Charitable Efforts Surpasses Early Predictions
Courtesy of Steve Walsh

June 18- Mach 1 Air Services racer David Baca's weekend in New Jersey was a huge success before his Top Fuel dragster ever hit the quarter-mile at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park. Baca helped local racer Frank Cicerale Jr. raise more money in the first weekend of his 9/11 tribute helmet raffle than he raised in six months last year.

"David and Mach 1's help has been unbelievable," said Cicerale, who donates 100-percent of the proceeds from his yearly raffle to the Mark Hindy Charitable Foundation. "We haven't had a chance to make an exact count yet but as of Saturday night we had already equaled what we raised last year. Combined with the crowd we're dealing with on race day, we're over the top. The response from the drivers and fans has been incredible. We couldn't have done this well at all without David and Mach 1's help."

The Mark Hindy Charitable Foundation, a 501c entity, raises funds for area children's hospitals and charitable entities in the name of Hindy, who lost his life in the Sept. 11th attacks on the 104th floor of the World Trade Center. Mark's father George competes locally in Super Gas.

"I'm happy to help," said Baca, who joined half of the championship contenders in this year's championship chase in being upset in the first round. "We didn't have the luck on the track today, but when you compare racing to the 9/11 tragedy and doing things to help these causes, it pales in comparison.

Mach 1 Top Fuel Racer Baca Moved to Help 9/11 Fundraiser
Courtesy of Don Armstrong

June 15- An impromptu visit to Ground Zero during a New York City sightseeing trip so moved Mach 1 Air Services Top Fuel driver David Baca that he's taken on a special cause at this weekend's K&N Filters NHRA Supernationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park. And he's challenging his fellow pros to help.

After being brought to tears several times as he toured the area where the World Trade Center towers once stood, Baca, a 41-year-old from Brentwood, Calif., felt compelled to do something to honor those who lost their lives in the September 11th attacks. He quickly remembered a story on NHRA.com about the efforts of sportsman racer Frankie Cicerale Jr. and decided to do what he could to help the kid from Piscataway, N.J.

"I wasn't expecting to be so emotional at Ground Zero," Baca said. "But when you go there it hits home, especially when you're with your family. I thought about how lucky we all are to live in this country and enjoy the liberties we have. The people who we lost that day are American heroes and we can never forget their sacrifice."

Last September 11th, after selling tickets all summer, Cicerale raffled off his specially-designed 9/11 tribute helmet during a divisional race at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park. The proceeds of the raffle went to the Mark Hindy Charitable Foundation, which was set up after the 9/11 attacks to honor Mark, whose father George Hindy competes in Super Gas. Mark was on the 104th floor of the North Tower when it collapsed.

The Mark Hindy Charitable Foundation keeps his memory alive by donating money to various children's hospitals and children's charities in the New York City area. Cicerale hopes this year's commemorative helmet raffle, which will culminate in early September, will raise a record amount.

"The raffle starts this weekend in my pit," Baca said. "I pledge $500 to get this thing started and I will ask all of my fellow racers to make the same contribution. I hope this year's helmet fits me because if it does I want to make a pass with it in my Mach 1 Air Services dragster. I ask everyone to stop by our pit and buy a raffle ticket."

The paint scheme of this year's helmet was a collaborative effort between Cicerale and local Piscataway Schools art teacher Krista Kirchofer. It honors police officers, firefighters, the 3,000 people who perished in the World Trade Center towers, and the innocent civilians lost in the four hijacked airplanes.

The helmet will be on display all weekend at Baca's pit where fans will also have a chance to buy a raffle ticket for a chance to win the one-of-a-kind souvenir.

2nd Annual 9/11 Tribute Helmet Raffle To Start May 24th

Frankie Cicerale and the Tax Bracket Racing team are set to kick off the 2nd Annual 9/11 Tribute Helmet Raffle on May 24th. Cicerale, who last year raised $3,000 by the conclusion of the inaugural fundraiser, will once again be raffling off a specially painted helmet that he will wear while competing in Super Comp at the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event to be held September 8-10th at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown, NJ.

Once again, the proceeds from the raffle will be donated to The Mark Hindy Charitable Foundation. Hindy worked on the 104th floor of the North Tower for Cantor Fitzgerald, and was one of the 3,000 victims of the September 11th attacks. Mark’s father, George, competes in Super Gas in Division 1.

“Last year was such a huge success that we decided to hold another raffle,” said the 24 year old Piscataway, NJ native. “We raised over $3,000 and we are confident that we can raise more this year.”

In honor of the victims of the attacks on the Pentagon, the World Trade Center, and on Flight 93, the helmet, a Simpson Voyager model donated by Jeg’s Mail Order, will be painted in a special tribute paint scheme. “Last year, the timing was perfect,” Cicerale said. “We ran eliminations on September 11th, and even though this year the fifth anniversary falls on the Monday after the event, the location and the timing is still there. We must never forget those who made the supreme sacrifice just by living their lives as Americans. This is our way of honoring the heroes of that day.”

As was the case last year, Tommy and Chris DePascale of Tommy De’s Custom Paint will again be the ones to paint the helmet. “When Frankie called and asked if we wanted to paint the helmet again, there was no hesitation in saying yes,” DePascale said.

The paint scheme of the helmet, a collaborative effort between Cicerale and local Piscataway Schools art teacher Krista Kirchofer, will feature a different paint scheme from last year’s design. Above the visor will be a silhouette of the New York City skyline, featuring the Towers of Light. The beams of light travel over the top of the helmet. The back will shadow an image of the towers and the raising of the American flag by three FDNY firefighters at Ground Zero. The sides of the helmet will feature special FDNY and NYPD patches, and four stars, two on each side, numbered with one of the four flight numbers of the hijacked aircraft on September 11th.

“As we did with last year’s helmet, we are putting a lot of symbolism into the design,” Cicerale explained. “We are going with five stripes this year because it is the fifth anniversary of the attacks. The interesting thing will be the image of the flag raising on the back of the helmet. I found it ironic on nearly the same day as the terrorist attacks on the Pentagon and on the World Trade Center nearly two hundred years earlier, the National Anthem was written. It really makes you think sometimes.”

“We are extremely excited to be a part of the helmet raffle again,” said George Hindy, who is also the President of the foundation. “Last year was a great success, and we are looking forward to this year being an even bigger one.”

The Mark Hindy Charitable Foundation was set up shortly after the attacks to honor Mark and keep his memory alive by donating money to local hospitals and other charities in the New York City area to benefit children and children's causes. The foundation also plays a large role in helping underprivileged children in New York City.

In addition to raffling off the helmet, other items will be raffled off as well. “Along with donating the helmet, Jeg’s Mail Order and the Coughlin brothers donated a signed transporter, die cast Pro Stock car and jacket,” Cicerale commented. “Larry Dixon and Don “the Snake’ Prudhomme are donating autographed pistons and rods, and we will also be raffling off a genuine FDNY firefighters helmet donated courtesy of John Kinash, a Stock racer in Division 1 and an FDNY firefighter in Harlem.”

For more information and an updated list of prizes being raffled off, visit the Tax Bracket Racing website, www.taxbracketracing.com/911tribute, or the foundation’s website, www.markhindycf.org.