BRAKES news 2009-03-06

B.R.A.K.E.S. Hires Director of Driving School; Announces 2009 Dates; Reilly Brings 21 Years of Experience to Safe Driving Foundation

LINCOLNTON, N.C. (March 6, 2009) -- B.R.A.K.E.S., the nonprofit organization founded by drag racer Doug Herbert that promotes safe and responsible driving, has hired Matt Reilly as the Chief Instructor and Executive Director for the B.R.A.K.E.S. Teen Pro-Active Driving School. The organization has also announced the 2009 schedule for driving schools to be held in Charlotte.

Reilly, who began working as a driving instructor at the age of 20, has worked previously as an instructor and trainer at the Bob Bondurant School, the Skip Barber Racing School, and the Jim Russell Racing School. He most recently served as President of MTR Motorsports, where he acted as a professional driver/consultant to the automotive industry as well as to numerous NASCAR drivers and teams.

"I'm very excited to help build the B.R.A.K.E.S. Driving School into a nationwide program," Reilly said. "Like Doug, I also recently lost a family member in a car accident caused by an inexperienced driver. There is strong passion in everyone at B.R.A.K.E.S. to get young drivers better trained and to keep them safe."

B.R.A.K.E.S., which was recently awarded the Safety Innovation Award by the North Carolina Motorsports Association for its work over the past year to promote safe driving, has announced its dates for the B.R.A.K.E.S. Teen Pro-Active Driving School. The school, which is ran by professional driving instructors, is designed to give young drivers the dynamic experience of handling a vehicle in adverse driving conditions and a controlled environment.

The confirmed sessions will all be held at zMAX Dragway in Concord, N.C., and the organization hopes to announce more locations for 2009 in the near future. B.R.A.K.E.S. is a 501(c)(3) foundation that operates solely on donations and fundraising events, such as the Comedy Night the organization is holding on March 30, 2009, at the Lake Norman Comedy Zone. Therefore, the Driving School is held at no cost to attending teens and parents. Anyone interested in participating can obtain further information and/or register by visiting www.putonthebrakes.com or by calling (704) 732-8950.

"Adding someone to the organization to run our teen driving school is a big step for B.R.A.K.E.S.", said Herbert, who Charlotte Observer motorsports writer David Poole dubbed the 2008 Man of the Year for his non-profit efforts. "Matt brings a lot of experience and having him on board will allow us to host a large number of schools this year and reach a lot of teenage drivers."

About B.R.A.K.E.S.

B.R.A.K.E.S., which stands for Be Responsible and Keep Everyone Safe, is a non-profit organization founded by NHRA Top Fuel drag racer Doug Herbert in memory of his two sons who were killed in a car accident. By training and educating teenage drivers and their parents, the foundation aims to promote safe driving in an attempt to prevent injuries and save lives.

-credit: www.putonthebrakes.com