Biggest race is against death
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006/03/24/opinion/stricklan...
By: PHIL STRICKLAND
Jim Filanc could tell plenty of sad tales. But he doesn't.
He could tell you about a sister who succumbed to lung cancer and scleroderma, a cruel autoimmune disease that hardens tissue until organs fail; a
brother who is battling cancer, and his own and his father's battle with the second-leading cause of death in the U.S.
But the De Luz resident mentions these personal agonies only in passing on the way to what he really wants to tell you about : the future ----
specifically the team, Racing for Life, he has put together to race in the SCORE Baja 1000 to raise money to battle the diseases that took his sister.
What began as the fulfillment of his and friend Curt Gerritson's longtime dream to compete in the legendary race has grown to a national fundraising
campaign.
Thus far they've taken their message to 11 cities on their way to Bike Week in Daytona, Fla., where they spread the word. Additionally, Racing For
Life has been invited by Buffalo Chip Campground, a longtime gathering place for motorcyclists, to participate in the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in the
Black Hills of South Dakota. And, they'll be at events throughout Southern California three out of four weekends every month this year.
But the culmination is the Baja 1000, where they'll race the "Julia Lynn," a KTM 525 named for his sister, across 1,000 miles of tortuous terrain from
Ensenada to La Paz, to promote support for the Scleroderma Foundation and Livestrong, the Lance Armstrong foundation.
And, they've got a couple of Southern California's heavy-hitters going to bat for them. Gordon Clark, for several years the American Motorcyclist
Association's top-ranked desert racer in District 38 (Imperial and San Diego counties), will be on the team, and Tim Iufer, a three-time winner of the
Baja 1000 and the Baja 500 to name a few, will be its mentor.
Thus far, sponsors include Nitro Tires, which has donated the van, cash and support services; Andre, Ricardo and Roberto Barbosa of KTM of Temecula
and Three Brothers Racing, suppliers of the motorcycle; and J.R. Filanc Construction (owned by Filanc's father, Jack) of Oceanside, which has donated
$3,000 in cash.
The organization also accepts contributions from the public. Here's how it works: For every $5 donated, $2 is split between the two charities with the
remaining $3 supporting the team. At the end of the season, all remaining support money will go to the foundations.
For information, go to www.racingforlife.org. And, if you want a piece of the campaign, you can get it when all the equipment, including the Julia Lynn, is auctioned off
at season's end with the proceeds going to the charities.
One of the recipients of funding is the University of Texas, Houston, one of two universities doing primary research on the genetic map that could
lead to a cure for scleroderma. If the university's funding from the National Institutes of Health ends this year as scheduled, it would be a critical
blow to its six years of groundbreaking research ---- a prospect that replaces Filanc's enthusiasm with concern. "This is key," he said.
So, come November, Filanc, his team and the Julia Lynn will roar off to conquer the Baja, but the real winners will be the victims of these two
diseases.
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