LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. - Indianapolis 500 champion driver Dan Wheldon was recently announced as the new national spokesperson for the National Guard Youth Challenge Program.
"(This) is an opportunity that I am very honored to receive, but one that I take very seriously," Wheldon said. "I have been personally inspired by the cadets themselves, and the stories they have shared in the time I've been families with this program.
"The Youth Challenge program is making a profound difference in the lives of thousands of young men and women, and the direction in which some of these lives are headed is unbelievable," he said.
"I am happy to do whatever I can to bring needed attention to the positive difference they are making in the lives of young people."
During the Grand Prix of Long Beach, Wheldon visited with at-risk teens enrolled at Sunburst Youth Academy, located here at the Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Base.
Sunburst is one of 33 National Guard Youth Challenge Academies around the country and the second in California. The academy provides at-risk teens discipline balanced with positive reinforcement, to encourage cadets to graduate high school and prepare for life's challenges.
Cadets listened attentively to Wheldon as he told stories about himself, starting with go-karts at age four, continuing to follow his dreams with courage and commitment, finally racing with Indy at age 21, being named Rookie of the Year in 2005, and ultimately winning the Indy 500 in 2005.
Some of the students asked him questions about his career, what it felt like to go that fast, and what it feels like to crash.
"Taking a car around a corner at that speed is like other commitments we make in life," Wheldon said to the students. "You turn the corner and hope that the tires stick to the track, and you hold on to the wheel. You have made a commitment to bettering your lives and continuing your education."
"It's very inspiring to someone like myself to see the commitment the cadets have made," he said. "For me, it's a privilege to be here."
As the national spokesman, Wheldon will help the foundation to promote awareness of the nationwide high-school dropout epidemic through personal appearances, public service announcements and media availabilities.
Several cadets visited the Long Beach Racetrack and were offered high-speed tandem rides in one of Panther Racing's National Guard sponsored tandem cars. They also visited the Panther Racing and National Guard Infield Racing Unit to get autographs from Wheldon.
Wheldon and Panther Racing will continue to involve cadets from similar National Guard Youth Challenge academies around the country in races throughout the season.
Panther Racing also plans to create an internship program which will provide cadets an opportunity to work within various careers in the motorsports industry.
"I can't think of anyone who has been more inspiring to me than these students," said John Barnes, founder and owner of Panther Racing. "They have shown such strength in character and courage to succeed in life."
The National Guard Youth Challenge Program was founded in 1993 and is funded through a partnership with the Department of Defense and state and local governments.
As of December 2008, more than 84,700 students have graduated from the program, with 80 percent earning their GED, nearly double the pass rate of other adult education programs.