NEWS RELEASE
RPM Foundation to Honor
Indy Car Racer Lyn St. James with
2019 Mentor of the Year Award
CHICAGO, Ill. — January 15, 2020 — Former Indy Car racer Lyn St. James will be honored on January 18, 2020 with the third annual RPM Foundation Mentor of the Year award, during a joint celebration with TechForce Foundation.
RPM – a part of America’s Automotive Trust – is a national non-profit organization that seeks to identify and support the interests and training of those who have a passion for the restoration of classic automobiles. Through the organization’s guidance and network of educational and industry partnerships, young people with such interests are directed toward formal training and mentorships that will propel them to rewarding careers in the collector car world.
A long-time RPM ambassador and mentor, St. James is being honored as an individual who exemplifies the ideals of the organization by providing advice and encouragement to young enthusiasts. Among her many professional accomplishments, St. James has 11 CART and five Indy Racing League starts to her name and is one of only nine women who have qualified for the Indianapolis 500. She was also the first woman to win the Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year award and was named by Sports Illustrated as one of its “Top 100 Women Athletes of the Century.”
“Lyn epitomizes what RPM and America’s Automotive Trust are all about,” said CEO Jennifer Maher. “Her dedication to our mission of preserving America’s car culture really resounds with the young people she mentors, and her enthusiasm has an indelible effect on those she works with. She’s an incredible inspiration – especially to young women in what has traditionally been a male-dominated profession – and we couldn’t be more proud to have her on our team.”
Past recipients of the RPM Mentor of the Year award include President and CEO of the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association Tony Parella and NASA astronaut Andrew Feustel.
The award ceremony will take place during a celebration at the Hyatt Gainey Ranch in Scottsdale, Arizona, hosted by America’s Automotive Trust and its partnering organizations, RPM Foundation, TechForce Foundation and LeMay-America’s Car Museum.
About The RPM Foundation (rpm.foundation)
RPM Foundation supports training and supporting the next generation of restoration and preservation craftsmen specializing in automotive, motorcycle and marine. RPM Foundation works to ensure that the critical skills necessary to preserve and restore collector vehicles are not lost by providing scholarships, grants and educational experiences to students and organizations committed to hands-on training of the trades. RPM Foundation is supporting organization of America’s Automotive Trust.
About America’s Automotive Trust (www.aat.org)
America’s Automotive Trust (AAT), headquartered in Tacoma, Washington, is a not-for-profit corporation that seeks to secure America’s automotive heritage and to transfer the skills and knowledge necessary for the future of collector vehicles and the enthusiast community for generations to come. AAT is made up of four founding members: LeMay – America’s Car Museum, the RPM Foundation, Club Auto and the Concours Club.
About TechForce Foundation (www.techforce.org)
TechForce Foundation is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) with the mission to champion students to and through their technical education and into careers as professional technicians. TechForce awards more than $2.0 million in scholarships and grants annually, thanks to its generous corporate sponsors and donors. It also spearheads an industry-wide initiative to encourage and support more young people to pursue the vehicle technician profession. For more information, visit www.techforce.org.
Contact:
AAT/ACM/RPM – Mike Bush (253) 779-8490 mike.bush@aat.org
TechForce – Mike Pressendo (602) 363-8861 mpressendo@techforce.org
###
