Raffle to benefit Jaki Scheckter

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IndyCar® Series Driver News

http://indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=5704

By indycar.com staff
indycar.com

Sunday Nov 13, 2005

Of all the smiles in the IndyCar Series paddock, one of the biggest belongs to Jaki Scheckter. The cousin of Panther Racing driver Tomas Scheckter, Jaki can be seen helping the team and his cousin in innumerable ways.
Now Tomas Scheckter wants to do something to help his cousin, and he hopes that IndyCar Series fans will join him.

Through the end of the year, Scheckter will be raffling off the autographed helmet he wore during the 2004 season in an effort to raise funds for the costs of a Cochlear Implant for Jaki, a former racer himself who won the South African Formula Ford Championship in 1992 and the Barber Dodge Pro Series in 1995.

“I’ve always been so impressed with the willingness of IndyCar Series fans to help out with positive causes, and that’s what we’re trying to do for my cousin Jaki,” said Scheckter, who finished ninth in the championship this season. “He was born hearing impaired and had to start using hearing aids when he was only two-years-old. The Cochlear Implant surgery is going to give him a better life, and soon he’ll be able to enjoy so many things that most of us take for granted. It’s a chance for my fans and fans of the IndyCar Series to win one of my racing helmets and help a great cause at the same time.”

Raffle tickets are available for $5, and all proceeds will go to a fund to cover medical expenses and post-surgery training and mapping that Jaki may require.

Raffle entries should be mailed along with name, contact number and address to:

Jaki Scheckter Cochlear Implant Fund

c/o Tomas Scheckter Racing

P.O. Box 361244

Indianapolis, Ind. 46236

Scheckter will draw the winner on Jan. 2, 2006.

“I hope that all of our fans and friends will help out with this,” said John Barnes, co-owner and CEO of Panther Racing. “Jaki is a great person. He has been an important part of the Panther Pack the past two seasons, and there isn’t a better thing we could do than help him hear properly. Our fans have always jumped at the chance to help a good cause, and I know they’ll be there to help make a difference in Jaki’s life.”

[trish]

I'll have to seriously consider this. Tomas is my favorite IRL driver and I can always use something else to clutter up my small space. :( Thanks for the info.

[theunions]

Is that why Jaki stopped racing? I hadn't heard his name mentioned (as opposed to Toby's) for many years.

[Steve99]

Hasn't Tomas made enough money twirling to just pay for the thing himself?

[extramundane]

Hasn't Tomas made enough money twirling to just pay for the thing himself?

Prostitutes are expensive.

[Fio1]

Hasn't Tomas made enough money twirling to just pay for the thing himself?

Ya, no s****! :rolleyes:

I remember Jaki, I always wondered what happened to him. I think he did some Indy Lights in 96 after he won the Pro-Series title and that was it. I think he was born death, he was death when he won the Barber-Dodge Pro-Series title.

[Sean O'Gorman]

I think he was born death, he was death when he won the Barber-Dodge Pro-Series title.

Uhh... :confused:

[Fio1]

Uhh... :confused:

It was late. I meant hard of hearing...not dead.

[Sean O'Gorman]

Ok, that makes more sense.

[SurfaceUnits]

BTW, Tomas is looking for a ChampCar ride :thumbup:

[Ziggy]

Only Tomas worth having is Enge

Scheckter can flip burgers for all I care. He needs to stay in the series "with the worlds best drivers." :gomer:

Dude set the world on fire. He put more miles on a towtruck than 10 AAA employee's.

Screw him (huh) can you hear me now?

[Fio1]

Ziggy's right. Scheckter is waaaaaaaaaay overrated. :thumdown: I was the first to say he would win races in IRL right away and bla bla bla. Well, I was wrong big time. He seems to be making the same mistakes he was doing in his rookie year. In Champcars he'll be a big cluster f***. It will make for good TV if he and Tracy could race wheel to wheel a little*, because you know something ugly will happen. :rolleyes:

*Well you know the deal, Tracy comes into the pits and comes out 9th and is stuck battling with Scheckter until Tomas pits......... :laugh:

[trish]

Ziggy's right. Scheckter is waaaaaaaaaay overrated. :thumdown: I was the first to say he would win races in IRL right away and bla bla bla. Well, I was wrong big time. He seems to be making the same mistakes he was doing in his rookie year. In Champcars he'll be a big cluster f***. It will make for good TV if he and Tracy could race wheel to wheel a little*, because you know something ugly will happen. :rolleyes:

*Well you know the deal, Tracy comes into the pits and comes out 9th and is stuck battling with Scheckter until Tomas pits......... :laugh:

And the Champ Car grid is full of drivers with scary talent?