AEROSMITH MEMBER TO COMPETE IN FINAL VOLKSWAGEN JETTA TDI CUP RACE OF 2009

Courtesy VW Jetta TDI Cup Media

HERNDON, VA - After nine races on seven different circuits, the SCCA Pro Racing Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup series is entering its final contest of the 2009 season this weekend at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia. When the 23 series regulars take to the 12-turn, 2.54-mile road course for the race that will decide the Championship, they will be joined by two guest drivers including Aerosmith guitarist, Brad Whitford, and motorsports journalist Jeremy Shaw.

The pair will compete alongside the other drivers in all track activities this weekend beginning with practice on Friday at 8:15 a.m. ET and concluding with the race on Saturday at 9 a.m. ET. Both Whitford and Shaw have motorsports backgrounds and are excited to be racing this weekend in the country’s only clean diesel motorsports series.

“I attended the Petit Le Mans race weekend last year, so I was able to get a feel for the Jetta TDI Cup during its first season,” Whitford said. “This will be a totally different experience for me, though. It’s going to be a lot of fun to be on the other side of the fence, and I’ll definitely have a much better view of the race. There are some talented drivers in this series, so hopefully I’ll be able to learn a few things from them when I get behind the wheel this weekend.”

About the guest drivers:
Brad Whitford – Whitford is a Winchester, Massachusetts native and the lead and rhythm guitarist for Aerosmith, the best selling American hard rock band of all time. He attended the Berklee College of Music before joining the band in 1971. Whitford’s talents aren’t only limited to the studio or the stage. He’s also an avid, amateur racecar driver. He has attended numerous driving schools including the Skip Barber Racing School, Panoz Racing School and Derek Daly Performance Driving Academy and is part owner of F1 Boston, an indoor karting facility. Whitford now resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, and actively competes in club races at Palmetto Motorsports Club.

Jeremy Shaw – Shaw was born in Macclesfield, England and resides in Santa Margarita, California. He has been a motorsports writer and broadcaster since 1974 and is a regular contributor to several publications around the world, including the industry-leading British weekly, Autosport. He also is the motorsport editor for OnCars.com and a member of the American Le Mans Series Radio broadcast team. In 1990, Shaw founded the Team USA Scholarship program to assist young American drivers in the formative stages of their careers. Past winners include Jimmy Vasser (1990 winner), Bryan Herta (1991), Jerry Nadeau (1993/1996), Memo Gidley (1995), Buddy Rice (1997) and A.J. Allmendinger (2001). In addition, he has been behind the wheel in SCCA, Vintage Formula Ford and F2000 races.