Race Recap 2006

Thursday, January 25th, 2006 Enjoy our Scrapbook!

Special thanks to our photographer, Brad Biggerstaff, who provided us with most of our images and thus one of the few pictures we have of him!	Getting Ready-Sea Tac Airport 7:00 AM	Safe arrival in Orlando, Florida. Deluxe motorcoach waiting to shuttle guests to Daytona 75 minutes away.	Meanwhile...back at the track....

Team Member Lynne Eskil supports Wes Hill's first appearance as a driver at the race. Lynne provides behind the scene help with special treats for our guests in both Seattle and Daytona.	Don updates the pledge board. Something that has to be done daily : )	Siena Kitch driving the golf cart with daddy and driver Don Kitch. Can you say happy!	Greeting committee at the team hotel, our home away form home, Hampton Inn. Pictured Mary, Siena and Craig.

Don welcoming our guests and giving an update on the day's progress.	Guests Caelin and Gillian enjoy some good food and company.	Jeff Larson VIP sponsor for the past 4 years pictured with Larry and Nancy guild support.	Cherish and Chris Bingham come by and say hi. Chris was one of the original Team Seattle drivers in 1997 and again in 2002.

Guests Alina and Daniel both MD's fit right in with our team and provide a lot of enthusiasm and support.	Team Manager Doc Doolittle outlines Friday's schedule with the track tour, tram ride, and Milestones program.	Driver Don Gagne and wife Carol. This is Don's second year driving with Team Seattle.	VIP Sponsor Jeff Larson and nephew Brian chat with Mike Meredith. Mike covers the Team Seattle story through MSN Autos.

VIP travel guests Thom Howson and Hal Hilton join in some good food and race talk.	VIP travel guests Kara and Dan Spalding chat with Nancy Narroway-Microsoft. Nancy was instrumental in coordinating the Microsoft sponsorship through various departments and the giving campaign.
Friday

Synergy crew member preparing the car.	The beautiful Porsche 997 team 87 car.	Sponsor Strobe Data, Willard and Vera West, thank you for the past 4 years of your corporate and personal support of this effort.	Children's Hospital in the famous blue bubble letters distinguishes our cars from the pack.

Thank you Kid's Country Learning Centers Lynnda and Perry Langston and family for your support.	Don conducting one of many interviews pre, during, and post race.	Who's Calling-major sponsor three years running. Thank you Stuart Depina for your support and belief in our project.	Children's Hospital Kami Sutton takes pictures of the beautiful team cars.

Guests are rapidly forming new friendships and getting a first hand experience at being up close and personal with a racing team.	Velle Kolde, Windows Automotive Representative, gets into the action with headset and program. Thank you Microsoft for your support over the years.	Thank you Michael Meredith, his 9th appearance with Team Seattle. Michael representing MSN Autos relentlessly covered our story with pictures, interviews, and video.	VIP travel guests Fred Wright, Brian Gilmore, Jeff Larson mingle in the team hospitality chalet and enjoy some good food and racing on the big screen tvs.

Driver Dave Gaylord chatting with Makes and Models representative. Kami and the Team Seattle story will be featured in their upcoming print media magazine.	Dr. Cohen enjoys watching the team cars practice.	Craig Degerness gets a front row seat in the horseshoe during qualifying.	Your eyes are not deceiving you. That is a couch in the back of a pickup loaded with race fan kids watching qualifying!
Friday Night Pre-Race Party

Friday night dinner at the famous North Turn Bar & Grill.	Daytona Legend pictured left. These were the guys that raced on the beach. Shared stories about what it was like to race during those days. Pictured with VIP guest Frank Geif.	Driver Chris Pennington enjoys some good music and company prior to Saturday's race.	Nancy Narroway enjoys some fun with fellow Team Seattle guests and friends.

Jan and driver Dave Gaylord enjoy the festivities.	Doc and Kami have some fun on stage at the Northturn and sing "I Love This Bar."	Dr. Cohen having some fun on the drums. Who knew. Maybe a recording contract is in your future.?	The kids enjoy Dr. Cohen and Doc jamming to good ol rock and roll.

VIP sponsors Ted Wight and David and Diane Shirmer having fun.


Saturday Race Day

Dan Cathcart our graphic artist provides all the logos, and signs for the effort. Shown here adding a little incentive for Seattle Fans to cheer about.	The tote board getting closer to our $600.00 goal per lap.	Driver Don Kitch continues to make the final touches on the car in pregrid.	Thank you MSN Autos and Windows Automotive.

Drivers and brothers Ken and Wes Hill pictured with VIP sponsors Robert Dunn and Frank Greif who also represents Nokia Corporation.	Sponsors prominately displayed on the car. The heart with thanks Jan is Dave Gaylord's annual "sponsor logo that rides on the car each year.	Second year driver Chris Pallis and wife Vickie Pallis. Chris provided additional sponsorship with Homestreet Bank, Peltram Plumbing, Wayne's Roofing, and Kid's Country.	VIP sponsors Kara and Dan Spalding. Waiting and watching. Golf karts are the only way to go to view this 3.5 mile road racing track and get up close and personal with the high banks.

Getting ready to follow the live timing and scoring for both cars.	Guests provided headsets to follow the team cars 86 and 87 and monitor the Grand-Am channel.	Carol Gagne and father Burt watch, wait and listen for the start of the race. Thanks Carol for all your support and fun!	Dr. Cohen gets an autograph from a few playboy playmates.

Here we go!	Don Gagne monitoring the team 86 car.	Drivers debriefing. Pictured Chris Pennington, Chris Pallis, and Don Kitch	The beautiful team 86 car on the track.

Hurry up and wait is what a lot of endurance drivers have to get conditioned too..	Long time supporters and fellow Newcastle, WA neighbors Lisa and John Jensen chat with our graphic artist Dave Conover. Dave has designed all 10 of our team posters. Thanks Dave!	The busy garage area as guests get ready for the start of the race.	Kami looks like an official driver in her own right! Kami joined the team 1 week after it was formed in 97, she was 7!

Here we go! SHOWTIME	Firefighers provide 24 hour assistance in every pit. Wearing the fire retardant suits is quite a commitment in the Florida sun.	Driver Ken Hill chats with wife Cecilia.	Making the car look it's best. Pictured Driver Chris Pennington.

Team 87 Will, Ken and Wes making their debut at the Speedway.	Autograph session.	Fan Zone	This is cool!

Let's have some fun and go racing. Pictured Kami and Cassie. Cassie and brother Brian making their 5th appearance at the Daytona 24.	Hero Cards, posters, t-shirts...all available to the Team Seattle race fans.	Brothers Dan and Thomas Cathcart gearing up for the start of the race.	Check out the short sleeves, beautiful weather in January!

Group pictures prior to pregrid announcement.	Team Seattle supporters and fans. Team Seattle donates these t-shirts to all the kids that visit our pits.	Driver Will Diefenbach chats with Mom. Will remember to tell mom you don't exceed the legal speed limit. : )	Reporter and friend, Holly Cain, interviews Don for the Tuesday Seattle edition of the PI.

Long time VIP supporter and life time guild member, Barbara Mann shielding her face from the intense Florida sun.	Pictured driver Don Gagne	Pictured driver Dave Gaylord	Father and Son Bill and Eric Mann escort the Team 86 car to pregrid.

Team # 86 walking to the hotpits	For Kami and the Kids...the numbers have ranged from 200-565 the mission the same! Thanks VIP sponor Fred Wright for his belief in our project.	Team # 86 respectfuly listening to the National Anthem	Team # 87 posing for media, fans, and supporters.

Team 87 posing for photos on pregrid	Split start the DP's and GT's have full fields of 35+ the field elects the split start.	Let's go racing!	This is fun!?!

Across from the hotpits, guests have a bird's eye view of most of the track.	What the start looked like, with a lot of traffic early on though this was a practice shot earlier in the week. Thank you Motorsports.com for the use of this photo.

Teams are allocated 4 golf cart permits. Team Seattle yields a big stick and is provided 40 permits for our VIP guests and sponsors.	Team Car # 86 comes in the garage area for repairs to damage to the front end from an altercation in the bus stop and wall.	Team Car # 87 comes in an hour later with some minor damage to the back corner end.	Racing can be a a painful business. One minute you are driving the next waiting.

Team 87 car is repaired and ready to get some racing in prior to sunset.

Will Diefenbach completes a successful stint in the car enjoys some time with friend Alicia.	Team Members Alex and Danny discussing plans for their 2010 running of the Daytona 24.	Adults planning the same : )	Kids...what this campaign is all about! Now, that's a race fan!
Sunday

In the hotpits, Dave Gaylord updating the driver board. Driver in, Driver out, Driver standing by. Times listed	Cool shot at night!	Let's go racing	Even the most dedicated fans have to take a little break! Pictured Brian Jackson.

Lights from the carnival lights add to the nigh festivities. Fireworks add to the party.	Long night.	Longtime supporter Eric Mann, takes a power nap prior to sunrise.	Racing in the night, hitting speeds of 160 mph gets the adrenaline pumping.

The place to be...On top of the largest Ferris wheel on the east coast. From here you can watch the entire race.			Sunset and Sunrise are special times during the 24 hour race. Emerging from the sunrise car # 87 motors into the sunlight.

Enjoying the sunrise with daughter Siena.	Driver Don Kitch getting ready for the interview for the 2 Million dollar lap.	Dave Gaylord pilots the Team 87 car over the start-finish line as the 2 Million Dollar lap is reached!	Dr. Cohen and wife Tricia enjoy the celebration.

Future F1 drivers, Wes and Ken Hill, waiting anxiously for the 12:10 PM end time.	Great suits! Thank you Stand 21 in your support for the finest driver suits out there.	Jeff Larson flashes his contagious smile.	Synergy crew exhausted after a long month in the preparation of the new 997 race cars.

Haugen family participate in the festivities.	Cecila anxiously awaits husband Ken's stint to end.	Haugen Family enjoying the nice weather.	Siena Kitch enjoying the party.

What a beautiful site seeing the Synergy cars cross the start finish line together. Congratulations Wes Hill for taking the checkered flag under the Sunday Daytona Sun!	Driver Dave Gaylord proudly displaying the tote board for the media.	Here comes Team 87 car piloted by Wes Hill. Way to go team!	Let the celebration begin.

Happiness and relief as the team 87 car finishes the race.	Driver Don Kitch congratulating all the drivers for a job well done.	Driver Will Diefenbach celebrating with his two favorite ladies. Good job Will!	What a sight!

Kami celebrates with Lynne and Wes.	Special thanks to Nancy Narroway, Senior Marketing Manager for Media & Entertainment, Micrsoft. Her help was instrumental in coordinating all three divisions of Microsoft sponsorship.	Supporters Daniel and Alina tired but happy that the team achieves their goals and everyone is safe.	Thanks everyone for all your support and enthusiasm.

Posters are in hot demand as Team Seattle has the biggest celebration of any of the teams.	Drivers Wes and Ken Hill signing posters for another set of twin racing fans.

How cute is this. Kids and Racing-- it is what we are about.	Team Members join in the celebration	Drivers let the crowds know Team Seattle finishes the race!	Check this out, the Team Seattle # 87 car blocks the entire pit lane with supporters.

Special thanks to Daniel and Alina for all their support and enthusiasm. Many past VIP sponsors have become Team Seattle drivers. What do you think Daniel? : )	Looking back over at the hotpits.	First time in a long time web site manager Donna Porada-Kitch had a few hours sleep Saturday night. Took the time to walk up to the start finish line and have Siena autograph the spot where her daddy has driven over for the past 13 years.	Signing off till next year. Don and Donna Porada-Kitch happy another year is in the books and everyone is safe and happy. See you in 2007!

Safe arrival Sea Tac Airport Monday afternoon. It will be hard to say goodbye to our friends and supporters after being one family for the week. Pictured Siena and big sis Cassie Jackson.