Danville, Va. (Nov. 8, 2005) – In the 13-hour Kumho Tires Charge of the Headlight Brigade endurance race sanctioned by North Carolina Region of the Sports Car Club of America at VIRginia International Raceway on Nov. 5, Danville-based DWD Racing made a little history, raised some money for a good cause and had a lot of fun.

Driving the No. 1 DWD Racing Mazda Miata sponsored by World Wide Racing Fuels (Sunoco), Quality Tire Recycling (QTR), KAB Enterprises, Powers Signs, Sleep Inn, Mary’s Diner, Comfort Inn & Suites and ADI Motorsports, team owner Julie Allen and co-driver Dr. Audrey Zavodsky finished 36th out of 60 entries after starting 56th. The two-driver team, making history as the only all-female driving squad in the three-year life of the event, completed 273 laps on the 3.27-mile VIR circuit for a total of 892.71 miles.

The team had pledged to donate $0.50 per mile towards breast cancer awareness and research, resulting in a $446.36 contribution to a very worthy cause. The DWD Racing entry displayed the Pink Ribbon for Breast Cancer Awareness, as well as a “Racing for Tobacco-Free Kids” banner.

Practice and qualifying for Saturday’s race took place on Friday night, and it was both drivers’ first time in the car. Zavodsky had never raced a Miata before, and commented on how easy it was to drive. In order to maximize both drivers’ seat time in the two pre-race sessions by eliminating driver changes, Zavodsky drove the entire practice session and Allen assumed the controls for the qualifying session. Allen qualified the car in 56th position and was behind the wheel to take the first stint when the green flag flew at 9:15 a.m. on Saturday. Allen improved five positions in the first 20 laps of the race and the team settled in for the long haul.

The team’s race strategy was to switch drivers at every fuel stop, which resulted in stints of approximately 90 minutes. The race was relatively uneventful, other than a four-lap pit stop necessitated by the loss of the headlights. The race crew, Karl Burke, Pat Eagan and DWD Racing team manager Mike Allen, did a superb job of keeping everything running smoothly, even completing a quick brake pad change during one of the scheduled pit stops.

With 75 minutes remaining in the race, team owner Allen decided to forego her final driving stint and keep Zavodsky, the faster driver, in the car for a double stint. Her efforts paid off with a 36th-place finish and smiles all around. When she exited the car for the final time, Zavodsky grinned and said, “Let’s go another 13!”

Allen, who has competed in all three Charge of the Headlight Brigade events at VIR, was very satisfied with the team’s effort and the result.

“We had a ball out there, and met our goals,” she said. “The car was reliable and handled great, the crew was outstanding and Audrey was fast and solid as a rock, just as I knew she would be. When you can pursue your passion like this, at an awesome event in a beautiful setting driving a fun car and competing with friends and family, plus raising money and awareness for an important cause at the same time, that’s as good as it gets.

“I want to express my sincere thanks to Audrey and her husband Rich, car owner Karl Burke and his wife Diane, car builder Pat Eagan, my husband Mike and to all our sponsors who made this memorable day possible. I love being able to use racing as an avenue to create awareness for breast cancer, and I want to continue to encourage everyone to donate to this worthwhile cause. Hopefully, one day our efforts will pay off with lots more women leading longer, healthier lives.”

Dr. Audrey Zavodsky is one of America’s most accomplished female racers, having raced and won in the Women’s Global GT Series and Panoz Pro Series. A multi-time SCCA regional champion, she has most recently competed in the Grand-Am Cup series. She is also the first-ever female driving instructor employed by the famed Bondurant School of High-Performance Driving. When she is not racing, she is employed as the corporate nurse for Ford Motor Company, and is also a motivational speaker.

After the race, she said, “This was so much fun! I have raced a variety of cars on a variety of circuits, but driving the Miata around VIR for all those hours was just terrific. Julie and I have been trying to race together for about a year, and it really turned out well. To be able to raise money and awareness for breast cancer research at the same time is just icing on the cake.”

DWD (Damn Woman Driver) Racing, Inc. is a race team, which offers event management services to its sponsors. Julie Allen, owner and driver, has been involved in racing on both the participant and management sides since 1994. During her motorsports career, she has served as Membership/Marketing Director for the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA) and Marketing Director for VIRginia International Raceway. She has experienced motorsports from the sanctioning body, race course and race team perspectives. As a driver, Allen first competed in a professional series in 2004 after a few years of vintage racing.

For more information, check the team’s website at www.dwdracing.com or contact Julie Allen at DWD Racing by telephone at (434) 203-1579 or by email at julie@dwdracing.com.