Monday, March 22, 2010
BFGoodrich's Roberts Kukainis and Miss 12 Hours of Sebring Brooke Blackman react to Terry Earwood's acceptance speech as the top three finishers in Round 4 of the 2010 BFGoodrich/Skip Barber National (l. to r.) Spencer Pigot (3rd), Dennis Trebing (1st), Felix Serralles (2nd) and Jim Norman (Skip Barber Cup winner) look on.
GREENVILLE, S.C. – March 19, 2010 – BFGoodrich Tires has named Terry Earwood of Skip Barber Racing School as the 2009 BFGoodrich Tires Motorsports Person of the Year. Earwood was presented with the award that recognizes the achievements in each series that BFGoodrich Tires competes during the awards ceremony at the 2010 BFGoodrich/Skip Barber National Presented by Mazda at Sebring International Raceway. Earwood currently serves as a Chief Instructor at Skip Barber Racing School and has been instrumental in providing a seamless BFGoodrich Tires and Skip Barber experience for all participants who attend the school’s driving schools and events. To win the prestigious award, the person must have made a significant contribution to racing both on and off the track, demonstrated a commitment to excellence with an uncompromising passion for motorsports, shown a sincere dedication to improve motorsports for all competitors and leave a positive lasting mark. “Both on-track and in lectures, Terry Earwood delivers passionate and engaging high-performance driving instruction,” said Roberts Kukainis, Motorsports Manager, BFGoodrich Tires. “Half the time you’re laughing, but all the time you’re learning about shifting, breaking, choosing lines and getting the most out of your racecar and tires. We are proud that Terry Earwood and the Skip Barber Racing School choose BFGoodrich high-performance tires as a key component to teaching drivers to go faster.” Earwood has been teaching those with a need for speed everything from defensive driving to the art and science of competitive driving for more than 26 years. Ever since he brought the driving school curriculum to Skip Barber in 1984 his coaching and jovial elements sometimes are mistaken for just having fun. It’s convenient for Earwood to provide the comic relief to a very serious activity of providing big fun with big learning. Often unseen is the flurry of activity behind the scenes to assure that everyone is paying attention, safety being primordial, learning being expected and fun the consequence. While surrounded with a number of talented instructors at Skip Barber, Earwood’s influence can be witnessed in any of their programs no matter who leads the schools. In addition to being one of the most sought after instructors for driving schools and original equipment driving programs, Earwood seldom misses a chance to discuss BFGoodrich Tires’ Take Control approach to the driving enthusiasts. His role in helping create and implement BFGoodrich’s All American Drivers Search program is another example of his continuing efforts to making much better drivers of those that want to learn. His on track achievements include becoming a member of the NHRA Southeastern Drag Racing Hall of Fame in 1996 and the East Coast Drag Times Hall of Fame in 2002. He also currently stands as the winningest driver in the history of the Grand-Am/Koni Challenge. Each year, BFGoodrich selects five finalists with one winner selected from the distinguished group. The inaugural winner of the award in 2003 was Sal Fish, President/CEO of SCORE International, the world’s premier off-road racing series, and home to events like the SCORE Baja 1000. The 2004 winner, Rod Hall, is widely considered the most successful driver in off-road history, having earned 19 SCORE Baja 1000 class victories. In 2005, BFGoodrich Tires honored the contributions of Frank DeAngelo and recognized him as the cornerstone of the BFGoodrich motorsports program and the 2006 honor was bestowed upon Marty Fiolka, editor-in-chief director of the off-road group at Advanstar Communications, which publishes DIRTsports magazine. In 2007, Rob MacCachren was recognized for his extraordinary contributions to off-road motorsports, numerous business accomplishments, and 40th annual SCORE Baja 1000 victory. In 2008, Larry Roeseler was given the award for his accomplishments in the off-road world, including his 2008 SCORE Baja 1000 victory. Using motorsports as a proving ground for more than 30 years, BFGoodrich® Tires is involved in every type of racing, including oval, sports car, drifting, drag, desert, dirt, rally, and extreme rock crawling. BFGoodrich Tires combines technological expertise with vast motorsports experience, delivering a high-performance tire for every type of vehicle. Visit BFGoodrich Tires online at
www.bfgoodrichtires.com. Words by Jim Altemus, images by Kelly Brouillet
