IMSA: Austin Hatcher Foundation plans variety of events around Petit Le Mans

It’s a big week for IMSA and perhaps an even bigger week for the Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer (AHF).

In what has become an annual tradition for the foundation – a “Proud Partner” of IMSA – a variety of events have been scheduled during the final IMSA race week of the season, featuring the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta. The race is set for Saturday but the Austin Hatcher Foundation will be running flat-out all week.

On Wednesday, the foundation will bring its heralded Diversionary Therapy Division services to young patients at Children’s Hospital of Atlanta at Scottish Rite. Foundation staff members will be joined by IMSA driver Bryan Sellers of Paul Miller Racing for an afternoon (1-3 p.m.) of visiting children while also building and racing the foundation’s signature Pinewood Derby cars. Diversionary Therapy is exactly what the label implies: it offers children and their families a much-needed respite from the everyday realities of battling pediatric cancer.

Sellers’ co-drives a Lamborghini Huracan GT3 for Paul Miller Racing, competing in the GT Daytona class in IMSA’s WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Going into the season finale Sellers and Snow are tied for fourth in their class’ driver championship point standings. Their involvement Wednesday will continue a year-long IMSA participation in Diversionary Therapy visits.

Fiver fund-raising auctions are scheduled to be held at Road Atlanta, at the Corvette, Porsche and Audi car corrals and the Paul Miller Racing team transporter in the track’s paddock area. Auctions hosted by race teams typically feature photography, used race parts and other sports car memorabilia up for bid.  But sometimes, they feature paintings. That will be the case Saturday when noted racing artists Bill Patterson and Roger Warrick will create on-site one-of-a-kind paintings which will be auctioned. Patterson is the official artist for Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California; Warrick is known as “Sebring’s artist” for his poster and program cover artwork for that historic 12-hour endurance race at Sebring (Florida) International Raceway.

The auction schedule:

• Friday, 11:15 a.m. – The Corvette Corral, with Roger Warrick
• Friday, 1:30 p.m. – Paul Miller Racing (at Paul Miller Transporter)
• Friday and Saturday all day – Race Memorabilia Auction at AHF tent (Next to Merchandising)
• Saturday, 2-3 p.m. p.m. – Bill Patterson at Porsche Corral
• Saturday, 7:30 p.m. – Audi Corral, with Bill Patterson

Road Atlanta Race Week Events

“Road Atlanta was the first race track where we developed partnerships to have events on site-during a race weekend,” said Austin Hatcher Foundation President Amy Jo Osborn. “The Petit Le Mans is one of the most significant sports car races in the world, which affords us a prime opportunity to raise funds and grow awareness of our mission to eradicate the effects of pediatric cancer.

”It’s a big week and it’s been a big year for us. IMSA has been front-and-center throughout, the consummate partner and supporter.”

Other fund-raising events scheduled:

• Sunday – course in Braselton. Entry fee is a $125 donation per player. Several levels of sponsorship opportunities are also available. For tournament entry and sponsorship information, go to http://www.hatcherfoundation.org/golf/.
• Sunday – , starting at 9 a.m. with one lap around the Road Atlanta circuit followed by an excursion into the North Georgia Twisties. Entry fee is $25 per person. For registration information go to

  http://www.hatcherfoundation.org/charityride/

  .