ANDY WHEELER JOINS BRITISH DRAG RACING HALL OF FAME MANAGEMENT BOARD

Former Junior Dragster team principal and Europcar UK Group Business Services Director Andy Wheeler has joined the British Drag Racing Hall of Fame Management Board as Social Media Director.

Andy has over 20 years experience in the highly competitive global car rental industry. He ran a multi-car Junior Dragster team with daughters Paige and Belle from 2009 to 2015. The team raced in the US and attended events at several venues including the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame, Gainesville Raceway, Bristol Dragway and The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. During their time in the US Andy, Paige and Belle met and networked with many stars of the sport including Melanie Troxel whose team at the time, R2B2 Racing, recruited Paige as her Junior Dragster team-mate.

In 2013, Andy played a key role in helping to launch the Junior Drag Racing Fun Day at Santa Pod. This event, held in August when all schools are on holiday, incorporates a day’s racing with charity fund raising and free entry for spectators. The Fun Day is an important part of promoting Junior Drag Racing and the sport in general. Santa Pod Raceway has announced that their charity partner for 2016 is Harry’s Rainbow which is committed to supporting bereaved children and their families in the Milton Keynes and surrounding areas.

Andy said ‘I am excited to be joining British Drag Racing Hall of Fame management board and to develop my involvement with the sport from what I experienced in six years of running a Junior Dragster team. Our experience as a team with social media has enabled us to utilise it to the best interests of promoting the sport and I hope this can bring an added dimension to the BDRHoF’.

BDRHoF Chairman Stu Bradbury said “We are really gathering some fabulous expertise on the Management Board now and I am so pleased that Andy has agreed to join us. With the plans for the Awards Gala Dinner and associated events now proceeding at some pace we will need plenty of hands to ensure everything runs smoothly for those attending. We already announced many great personalities from the world of drag racing who are attending and when everyone hears about the others they will be amazed. Watch this space but make sure you book your tickets”.

Current Management Board Members of the BDRHoF are: Stu Bradbury (Chairman), Bev Bradbury, Phil Cottingham, Phil Evans, Simon Groves, Robin Jackson, Geoff Stillwell and Rob Ward. Brian Taylor acts as General Advisor and Julian Parsons as Gala Audio Visual Advisor. Selection Board members are Stu Bradbury (Chairman), Keith Bartlett, Graham Beckwith, Jeremy Cookson, Phil Cottingham, Phil Evans, Robin Jackson, Keith Lee, Ian Marshall, Ian Messenger, Darren Prentice, and Andy ‘Tog’ Rogers. Keith Lee and Nick Pettitt act as Drag Racing History Consultants.