LEWIS CENTER, Ohio — Sir Jackie Stewart, three-time F1 world champion, will be honored by the Road Racing Drivers Club in Long Beach, Calif., on Thursday, April 18.
The “RRDC Evening with Sir Jackie Stewart Presented by Firestone” is the RRDC’s 14th banquet honoring auto racing’s most influential leaders and icons. It will be held prior to the 49th Annual Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.
The Firestone brand will return as presenting sponsor of the RRDC banquet for the 13th year.
“Having Firestone support the RRDC Long Beach dinner for more than a decade is a true privilege,” said RRDC President Bobby Rahal. “Firestone has an unrivaled heritage in motorsports dating back to the first Indy 500 in 1911. We always welcome Firestone’s support, and salute the brand’s long-standing success and contributions to the sport.”
Previous RRDC honorees were Dan Gurney, Parnelli Jones, Roger Penske, Jim Hall, Brian Redman, Mario Andretti, Bobby Unser, George Follmer, Emerson Fittipaldi, Johnny Rutherford, David Hobbs, Rick Mears and Jacky Ickx.
These “RRDC Evenings” are acknowledged as highlights of the auto-racing social calendar, drawing fans and luminaries from all forms of motorsports.
The dinner’s proceeds will help support Race Against Dementia, founded by Stewart, as well as the RRDC’s young driver initiatives, including its groundbreaking SAFEisFAST.com program and the Team USA Scholarship, which the RRDC has backed since 1997 and has been providing opportunities for talented young American race-car drivers since 1990.
The Mark Donohue Foundation, a 501(C)(3) tax-exempt organization, was formed to further support the SAFEisFAST.com initiative. Information about the Foundation can be found on the RRDC’s website.
About Sir Jackie Stewart
Born in 1939, Stewart was involved with cars from an early age. Leaving school at age 15, (his dyslexia undiagnosed until much later), he found his personal voice in sport, first as an Olympic-class shot, then in motor racing.Â
In shooting, Stewart won the Coupe De Nations twice (British and Mediterranean Championships). He also won the championships of Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales, as well as the British Grand Prix of Shooting. Sir Jackie retired from shooting at 23 years old.
Stewart’s motor racing career took off internationally in 1965 when, at Monza, he scored the first of his 27 Grand Prix Championship victories. During his Formula One career, he was crowned world champion three times and achieved a total of 27 victories, out of 99 races.Â
In 1988, he formed Paul Stewart Racing with his son Paul. Subsequently, in 1996, they formed Stewart Grand Prix, which was sold to the Ford Motor Company in 1999. He has been a Rolex Testimonee since 1968 and an Ambassador for Moët Hennessy since 1969.
Stewart also enjoyed 40 years with the Ford Motor Company and is currently engaged on a multi-year contract with Heineken.
Stewart is the founder of Race Against Dementia, President of Dyslexia Scotland, Founder and former Chairman of the Grand Prix Trust, President of the Springfield Youth Club, Vice-President of the British Racing Drivers’ Club and the British Dyslexia Association.Â
He was awarded the OBE in 1972 and was knighted in 2001. He earned an Honorary Professorship from the University of Stirling and received eight Honorary Doctorates from US, Scottish and English Universities.