RPMRACER |
|||||
|
|||||
|
Rubicon Promotions & Marketing (RPM) Is owned and operated by USAC Driver (now retired) Lonnie Caruthers with Locations in Indianapolis, IN., Irivne, CA., Paso Robles, CA., and our new location in Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, MEXICO. Our company is dedicated to assisting race drivers and teams achieve their highest level of success in the business of motorsports by Marketing & Promotions including close Sponsorship contact & Public Relations. We are here for the Sponsor as well as our Driver/Teams! "About Us" MEET YOUR RACING EXPERT TEAM... Stephanie Farley: The niece of USAC Veteran Driver & Car Owner/Builder Lonnie Caruthers. Stephanie has been an active part of his racing career, and she understands the "family" aspect of the sport, as Lonnie and his late wife, Paula, ran their own USAC Midget team in the mid 70's thru the late 80's. Stephanie also assist her Uncle in presenting the Coveted "Jimmy Caruthers Spirit Award" at the USAC Awards banquet(s). When she's not doing appearances for RPM Stephanie works full time in Research at Dow Argisciences in Indianapolis, Indiana, where she resides as well as being a Pharmacy Tech and Bar Tender on non racing weekends. She also enjoys traveling, and has vacationed (at the same time always networking) in destinations such as Hawaii (every other year), California, Forida, Texas, etc. and Colorado (every other year for snow skiing), Las Vegas (twice every year... a NASCAR thing), Mexico, Canada, Europe, Japan, Jamaica, Brazil, etc. Note: Lonnie & Paula became Stephanie's permenate & Proud Foster Parents at the age of 7 years old. Jamie Marvel: No stranger to the sport of auto racing. As the daughter of the late sprint car great Bill Marvel, Jr., the granddaughter of Bill Marvel, Sr., and the cousin of Indiana hotshoe Justin Marvel, Jamie is part of a sprint car racing dynasty. When she's not busy finishing her degree in dental hygiene at the Indiana University School of Dentistry, Jamie can be found organizing the annual Indiana Sprint Week picnic, selling Simpson race products at racing events nationwide, working as a pit reporter for D.O. Laycock's "Racin' With D.O." videos, or assisting O'Reilly Chili Bowl Midget Nationals promoter Emmett Hahn with event promotion. Jamie was named as the 2001 recipient of the Hoosier Auto Racing Fans (HARF) "Gene Powlen Fan Appreciation" award. This esteemed award is presented to an auto racing fan who tirelessly volunteers their time and support to the sport. Jamie is also a past recipient of the "Rich Vogler Memorial Scholarship," and she and her brother, Robbie, present the HARF "Rookie of the Year" award during the annual HARF banquet(s). Misha Geisert: A public relations representative with a Bachelor of Science degree from Indiana State University. She has worked with many series in the motorsports business, ranging from Formula One to USAC. Her involvement with the sport includes working as a marketing assistant for Indianapolis Raceway Park, writing as a freelance journalist for the Jeff Gordon and Steve Park official websites for CyberTrack, and serving as a public relations representative for Jonathan Byrd/McCormack Motorsports, an Indy Racing Northern Light Series team. In 2000, upon the untimely passing of the late Larry Nuber, Misha assumed the role of Marketing Programs Coordinator for Wynn's Racing. The program's 15 nationally recognized race teams competed in several series, including the American Speed Association (ASA), NASCAR Busch Grand National North Division, USAC Silver Bullet, Sprint and Midget divisions, as well as several others. In working with these teams, Misha worked as the sponsor liason between the Wynn's Racing teams and drivers, as well as serving as the Wynn Oil Company sponsor representative on the ASA sponsor's council. Prior to receiving her college degree, Misha was selected as an Indianapolis 500 Festival Princess, as well as being named as a recipient of a "Rich Vogler Memorial Scholarship." Bill Thomas Jr: Bill now based at our RPM Irvine, CA. office was introduced to fast autos at an early age with his Father Bill Thomas Sr. a Legendary Name: "The Chevy Cheetah roared to life in the early 60’s. It soon became a legend: the perfect racing machine. The brainchild of California’s Bill Thomas Sr., the new car proved worthy of its name: muscular, agile, lightning fast", and with only 8 or 9 true orignal cars known to be remaining they are a coveted collectors dream car. Bill Thomas Jr. took up racing with close friend Danny Caruthers with Danny taking him to the Quarter Midget races and running him in the Quarter Midgets for two seasons. It took hold as Bill continued to work on Chevy race motors for other racing teams he always kept his eye towards Open Wheel Racing. In 1977 Bill earned his wings running with USRC California Midget Racing Club and in 1978 won the USAC National Midget Rookie of the Year Award. After crewing and tunning motors for several Indianapolis 500 teams and winning two Indinapolis Speedway 500 Winner rings Bill returned to California, Married with children and more happy than every before as he continues his Engine buliding and fun in the Sun with his Family. Bill knows his way around the race car and motor as well as the Pits and what it takes to be a winner in Life &/or racing while working hand in hand with your Sponsors. He will be and is a very fired up injection to your RPM Team. Bill continued to race Midget & Sprint cars for several more years yet the building of Fast Chevy Race motors kept him to busy to continue as a Driver so he made his fame in Motor building and today is currently building Motors for some of the fastest West Coast NASCAR race teams, including the New team of 3 time West Coast NASCAR Champion Jimmy Neal. We at RPM are also are very happy to be working with Bill and Jimmy with the making of the Movie (Jimmys Back) "The Jimmy Neal Racing Story" to be out in Spring of 2007. Note: Jimmy Neal is a 3 Time NASCAR Champion "Jimmy's Back" and is returning to NASCAR Racing. Jimmy is looking for a quality ride and his story is one of a kind. 21 years ago Jimmy was a professional race car driver with 3 NASCAR Championships, several track championships and many other victories under his belt. He was the best of the best and while on top of his game Jimmy stoped racing due to personal issues. Jimmy is now getting back on the track and it turns out his comeback is stronger than ever. A movie is being made on Jimmy, his life and return to NASCAR Auto Racing to be called the "Jimmy Neal Racing Story." Lonnie Caruthers: In early 1969 two weeks before Lonnie was Drafed into the US ARMY Lonnie got his first race car drive since retiring from Quarter Midgets in 1964 (turning over the Quarter Midget ride to Ron "Sleepy" Tripp for the next two years) Lonnie driving a 3/4 Midget for his Father (Red Caruthers) at the El Torro Speedway, Ca. during a USRC 3/4 Midget event, Racing against the then now Verterian 3/4 and Full Midget Racers like his Cousin's Jimmy & Danny Caruthers and Bobby Olivero. Then after the Army in late 1971 Lonnie's Father asked him if he would rather leave the beach/surfing life and get back to Racing, Lonnie said "Not yet Dad." So Bobby Olivero (B.O.) kept the 3/4 Midget & full Midget rides from 69 thru 72 then in 1973 B.O. got the first L.T.C. VW USAC Midget ride (the brianchild of Red Caruthers) that revolutionized Midget Racing and a VW Midget won every Championship for the next 10+ years. In 1974 Ron "Sleepy" Tripp took over driving the LTC Research 240hp VW 800lbs USAC Midget with Lonnie's Father remaining on the sidelines guiding Sleepy all the way to his first of 3 National USAC Championships. After doing a full racing season building race cars and GoFor'ing and rolling in the dirt changing quick change gears and stagger tires for Drivers like Gary Bettenhausen, Jan Opperman, Bobby Olivero, Larry Rice, Sleepy Tripp, Danny McKnight, Bubby Jones and Bob Wente Sr. Once again during the Turkey Night Race at Ascot Park, CA. in 1975 Lonnie's Father asked him if he would like to come back to driving racecars, the answer was a Loud & Re-sounding "YES". Lonnie then restarted his racing with USRC California Midget Racing Club where the likes of his Famous but sadly now Late cousins (Indianapolis 500 driver Jimmy & Danny Caruthers) first renewed their racing after Quarter midget racing as did Indianapolis 500 driver Bobby Olivero, 3 time USAC National Midget Champion Sleepy Tripp and many other now famous OPEN WHEEL racers came from. Lonnie won the prestigous "Rookie of the Year Award" in 1976 with USRC and then the 1977 National "Rookie of the Year Award" with the United States Auto Club "USAC". Lonnie's personal favorite wins were the USAC "Indianapolis 500 Speedrome" and Down Under... The "New Zealand Grand Prix" both in 1982. However his first Feature Win (of the over 200 Feature Wins) in racing remains his favorite of all... it was at the Jelly Bean Bowl, Anaheim, Ca. at the ripe ole age of 4 1/2 years old in 1953 racing against his cousins Jimmy & Danny Caruthers as well as Bobby Olivero, Johnny Parsons Jr, Poncho Carter and so on. After he retired in 1989 as a Driver, Lonnie and Paula continued to be involved in Racing Promotions & Marketing working with Race Drivers, Sponsors and Race teams. Lonnie, after Paula's passing in 1998 went on to pull off the biggest "Chili Bowl" Promotion to date by presenting an all Female Blonde and Blue Eyed Race Team including the Driver, Anne Coppel in 2002, the team was called "The Blonde Squad" (A Special Thanks to "RFMS Racing" for the Beast/Pink Ford Midget ride and allowing us to join the "RFMS" Team that year at the Chili Bowl.) Ps: Lonnie's Second Love "SURFING" Started racing race cars at age 3 1/2 and learned to Surf during the Summer of 1959 on a Family Vacation in Hawaii at age 10. It just happened to of been the year a rare Hurricane hit Hawaii and 10 year old Lonnie looking out his Hotel window watching surfers riding huge 20 to 30 foot high waves in Waikiki of all places... that the Love of Surfing was born deep inside of him, after that... the love for the Ocean has always been a deep part of his life. Lonnie returned to the North Shore, Ohau to surf during the winters of 1966, 67, 68, 71, 73, 74, & 75, then Lonnie & Paula Winter vacationed at the Turtle Bay Condo's (North Shore, Ohau) from the early 80's thru the late 90's. In 1964 at the ripe old age of 15 1/2 Lonnie retired from racing after 12 years of racing 1/4 midgets (age 3 to 15) to presure his other love: SURFING... and surfed every beach and cove up and down the California coastline he could get to and hooked up with long time friend Woody Woodworth in 1972 for 3 more full years of Surfing Safari's including returning to Hawaii and surfing the Bonzi Pipeline, Sunset beach and other breaks together while Woody was learning his way around a camera. In 1974 Lonnie was the featured surfer in Woodys first published photo's in an article titled: "Spotlight on a Rubber Duck" in Surfer Magizne. 29 years later in 2003 Woody asked Lonnie if he would like to merge his Racing Business talents with the Surfing world... So now there's a 4th RPM office based in Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca Mexico (Famous MEXPIPE surfing area).
Photos of Lonnie Surfing are from Woodys article in Surfer Magizne "1974" RUBBER DUCK was about how Surfers like Lonnie & Woody had built their own Custom Rafts to surf on when Life Guard Rules made them bring in their surfboards so the tourist could flap around in the waves and not get hit by lose surfboards. This was before Boogie boards were invented. Note: The the Custom made ridgged double layered canvas raft(s) have fins/skags! Something the Life guards missed seeing... Coming Soon: RPMsurfer.com
|
