Partial Proceeds from Sale Helps Children’s Tumor Foundation/Racing4Research Program Surpass $600,000 in 2012 Donations for the fight against Neurofibromatosis
WESTMONT, Ill. (March 9, 2012) – Longtime Porsche enthusiast and motorsports fans Bill Stefan is now the proud owner of a unique piece of rolling racing history after purchasing the special No. 4 “Rennsport Edition” Cayman S that was commissioned for last year’s Rennsport Reunion IV and later put up for sale as a fundraiser for the Children’s Tumor Foundation/Racing4Reaseach program.
Stefan set out looking for a car he could enjoy at track days with his family and ended up helping thousands of other families in their fight against neurofibromatosis (NF), a common yet under-recognized genetic disorder that causes tumors to grow on nerves throughout the body. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the Rennsport Edition Cayman S was donated to Racing4Research (R4R), a program within the Children’s Tumor Foundation (CTF) that uses motorsports to raise funding for NF research. Learn more and make a donation at www.racing4research.org.
“I was looking for a track car, basically, that I could bring my daughter along, and my grandkids and nephew, and have them come along and do some track days,” Stefan said. “I was told the Rennsport No. 4 was going up for sale and it is a good cause and a great car. So I talked to my wife and we decided to pull the trigger and go ahead and get the Rennsport Edition.”
Stefan, a native of Pennsylvania who now lives in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., first saw his new Cayman S at the season-opening Pirelli Cayman Interseries Endurance Cup Championship race weekend last month at Palm Beach International Raceway (PBIR). That event also marked his first experience with NF and the great work CTF is doing to combat the disease.
“During the Palm Beach weekend I met someone involved in the organization from the Miami and Fort Lauderdale area,” said Stefan (left in picture). “She had her son with her, a very, very nice young guy about four or five years old, and we talked about his special needs and the diagnosis going on. I was really quite touched by it.”
Although the Rennsport Edition Cayman S was featured in a special auction on eBay Motors last month, Stefan had been eyeing the one-off design for weeks. He made his move as the auction ended and hopes the bright blue and yellow Cayman S can continue to be used as an awareness builder for the CTF/R4R cause.
“I told Napleton Porsche that if they ever need the car to show anywhere to let me know,” Stefan said. “I want people to enjoy the car just as much as I am enjoying it. At the present time I just want to do track days with the car, learn the tracks, learn the lines, be safe, and have fun. If there are any charity rides that come up, if the kids want to go for a ride, I would be more than happy to take them for a ride anywhere. I just want to enjoy the car and have people enjoy it also.”
Built by Pirelli Cayman Interseries founders and owners Napleton Porsche of Westmont, a premier Porsche dealer in the Chicago area, the one-off design was commissioned specifically to pay tribute to this past October’s Rennsport Reunion IV at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Held only once every few years, Rennsport Reunion is the ultimate celebration of Porsche’s accomplished racing heritage, and the Cayman Interseries was an honored participant in the most recent event in California.
To commemorate the occasion, Napleton’s in-house racing team, Porsche Napleton Racing (PNR), built the special No. 4 Cayman S that is literally a rolling tribute to Porsche’s accomplished racing history. The car includes the names of top Porsche drivers from the last half century, many of whom were in attendance at Rennsport Reunion IV and autographed the car. The Rennsport Edition Cayman S also features the names of every factory racing Porsche ever produced and the great international circuits on which these famous drivers and machines raced.
The car was both debuted and raced at Rennsport Reunion, with three-time road racing champion and Pirelli Cayman Interseries Driving Coach Jack Baldwin at the wheel, and was promptly retired and prepared for the special sale at the conclusion of the event. Baldwin coached Stefan through his first laps at the wheel of his new Cayman S during the recent Chin Motorsports event at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
“The car is so balanced, I got real comfortable with the car very quickly because of the grip the car has, the balance that the car has, and the power that it has,” Stefan said. “I did the first two sessions there with Jack Baldwin, he helped me with the line, of course, and things just sort of flowed. The Chin instructor went out with me on the second and check-out ride and had nothing but good things to say and everything just sort of clicked.”
The Rennsport Edition Cayman S fundraiser followed a strong 2012 R4R launch at this year’s Rolex 24 At Daytona. The No. 4 eBay Motors/Children’s Tumor Foundation/Racing4Research Porsche GT3 team earned $600,000 for the fight against NF in what was the most successful R4R Rolex 24 campaign in the five-year history of the program. Team drivers for CTF/R4R at the Rolex 24 included Justin Bell, Daniel Graeff, Ron Yarab and top Pirelli Cayman Interseries pro driver Ryan Eversley (right in picture with Stefan).
Next up for the Pirelli Cayman Interseries Endurance Cup Championship Series is The Mitty, April 26 – 29, at Road Atlanta.
About The Pirelli Cayman Interseries Endurance Cup Championship: Established in 2009 by Napleton Porsche of Westmont, Illinois, the Pirelli Cayman Interseries Endurance Cup Championship is North America’s only auto racing series featuring the exclusive use of the 320-horsepower Porsche Cayman S. Sanctioned by Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR), the Cayman Interseries conducted its first official seasons in 2010 and 2011 and crowned a pair of champion drivers in both the sprint and endurance racing formats each year. Races are run on legendary circuits such as Daytona, Sebring, Road Atlanta, Road America and other premier venues. Every competing Porsche Cayman S is exclusively supplied and prepared by Napleton Porsche and each car competes with an assigned and specific heritage livery themed after a famous Porsche race car from the past. Learn more about the Cayman Interseries at CaymanInterseries.org. Phone calls direct to Napleton Porsche may be made at (630) 725-0911 and email inquiries can be sent to racing@napletonmotorsports.com.
About the Children's Tumor Foundation and Racing4Research: Developed by the Children’s Tumor Foundation, the Racing4Research (R4R) program utilizes competitive, professional auto racing as a vehicle to increase awareness of neurofibromatosis and raise funds for research through corporate sponsorship, personal donations, and individual fundraising by NF Heroes: children and adults from around the country who live with neurofibromatosis. NF affects one in every 3,000 children, more than cystic fibrosis, Duchenne muscular dystrophy and Huntington’s disease combined, and can lead to a wide variety of complications, including blindness, bone abnormalities, cancer, deafness, disfigurement, learning disabilities and excruciating and disabling pain. The Racing4Research program offers children and families living with the disorder a uniquely empowering weekend, and has raised over $1.5 million dollars since its inception five years ago. Donations can be made at www.racing4research.org.
