Racing For A Cause: Brandy Phillips Races To Help Goodguys Autocross For Kids

The Spectre Performance sponsored C10R teams up with the Austin Hatcher Foundation to help raise money for pediatric cancer

Several Goodguys autocross competitors race to win, but racing for a good cause can be just as rewarding.  Goodguys Rod and Custom Association teamed up with the Austin Hatcher Foundation by creating the Goodguys Autocross for Kids.  The mission is to raise funds and awareness for Pediatric Cancer, helping those children currently diagnosed with cancer, survivors and their families.  The Goodguys Autocross for Kids fundraiser encourages participants to donate a minimum of $20 for a ride with a Goodguys Pro Class Driver on the autocross.  The program was started last year and with much success, has expanded to several of the Goodguys West Coast events for the 2016 season.

People who made donations had the opportunity to go for a ride with Brandy Phillips throughout the weekend

Spectre Performance driver Brandy Phillips earned her way into the Goodguys Autocross Pro Class after competing in her 1972 Spectre equipped C-10, known as the PCHRODS C10R.  The Goodguys Duel in the Desert Shootout, held in Scottsdale, Arizona at the end of last year, is one of the biggest events for the pro-touring community.  A power steering failure right before the shootout left Phillips questioning if she could even compete in the thirty-two-car bracket race.  Phillips had to place one run in the shootout in order to automatically qualify as a 2016 Pro Class Driver.  Though getting knocked out in the beginning of the shootout, Phillips powered through the race, securing her spot on the 2016 Pro Class team.

People who made donations had the opportunity to go for a ride with Brandy Phillips throughout the weekend

Phillips returned to Scottsdale, Arizona for the first Goodguys Rod and Custom event of the year, the 7th Spring Nationals.  Upon arriving in the pits, members of the Austin Hatcher Foundation approached Phillips asking if she would participate in the program throughout the weekend.  Unfortunately, power steering problems set Phillips back once again, while the PCHRODS team struggled to replace the power steering pump and get the truck back up and running before the end of Friday.  With the help of Detroit Speed and Engineering, Phillips was able to run two test laps Friday evening, making sure the truck was safe for passengers come Saturday morning.

With only a couple Pro Class vehicles available for ride-alongs, Phillips joined the small group of drivers; giving Autocross rides to Kids passengers both Saturday and Sunday.  By the end of Sunday Phillips had given approximately a dozen rides for the Austin Hatcher Foundation.   Phillips recalls, “By the end of Saturday there were no Pro Class drivers left, so we started doing round-robin laps as one passenger got out and the next strapped in until all the people who donated had gone for a ride.  Of course I did not mind because I was able to get some much needed seat time along with giving these passengers a unique and memorable experience they could take home and share with their friends and family.”

You can find Phillips and the C10R back on course at the Gooduys Del Mar, California autocross the first weekend of April

Phillips will continue to participate in the Autocross for Kids Program throughout the year, hoping to raise more money for the cause, while also encouraging other drivers to join in on the program and make a difference.  Phillips plans to attend next month’s Goodguys Del Mar, California race with the Spectre Performance PCHRODS C10R.  If all goes as planned, the C10R should see quite a few laps around the autocross in Del Mar. Meanwhile, Phillips continues to raise money for the Austin Hatcher Foundation before the program heads back East.