DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 25, 2024) – Bobby Rahal, president of the Road Racing Drivers Club, announced on Wednesday that three-time F1 World Champion Sir Jackie Stewart will be the honoree at the RRDC’s legends dinner on April 18, 2024. The dinner will be held the Thursday before the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach in Long Beach, California, the second leg of the 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES.
Rahal made the announcement at the annual RRDC members’ dinner at the 500 Club at the Daytona International Speedway, in advance of the 62nd running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona, the season opener for the 2024 iMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
Stewart will become the 14th legend to be recognized by the RRDC and will join such racing icons as Dan Gurney, Mario Andretti, David Hobbs, Roger Penske, et al, along with last year’s honoree, Jacky Ickx.
Proceeds from the dinner will benefit Race for Dementia, the Team USA Scholarship and The Mark Donohue Foundation, which supports the RRDC’s SAFEisFAST initiative.
“We at the RRDC are thrilled to announce that Sir Jackie Stewart will be the 14th honoree at the RRDC’s annual legends dinner in Long Beach. He’s not only a three-time Formula One World Champion and a true racing personality, his career-long dedication to safety has been invaluable to the sport,” said Rahal. "We are also pleased to lend support to Race for Dementia, a cause that is close to Sir Jackie's heart."
xBorn in 1939, Sir Jackie was involved with cars from an early age. Leaving school at age 15, (his dyslexia undiagnosed until much later), he found his personal voice in sport, first as an Olympic-class shot, then in motor racing.
In shooting, Sir Jackie won the Coupe De Nations twice (British and Mediterranean Championships). He also won the Championships of Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales, as well as the British Grand Prix of Shooting. Sir Jackie retired from shooting aged 23.
Sir Jackie’s motor racing career took off internationally in 1965 when, at Monza, he scored the first of his 27 Grand Prix Championship victories. During his Formula One career, he was crowned World Champion three times and achieved a total of 27 victories, out of 99 races.
In 1988 he formed Paul Stewart Racing with his son Paul. Subsequently, in 1996, they formed Stewart Grand Prix, which was sold to the Ford Motor Company in 1999.
He has been a Rolex Testimonee since 1968 and an Ambassador for Moët Hennessy since 1969. Sir Jackie also enjoyed 40 years with the Ford Motor Company and is currently engaged on a multi-year contract with Heineken.
Sir Jackie is the founder of Race Against Dementia, President of Dyslexia Scotland, Founder and former Chairman of the Grand Prix Trust, President of the Springfield Youth Club, Vice-President of the British Racing Drivers’ Club and the British Dyslexia Association.
He was awarded the OBE in 1972 and was knighted in 2001. He earned an Honorary Professorship from the University of Stirling and received eight Honorary Doctorates from US, Scottish and English Universities. He has received honors from His Majesty the King of Jordan and His Majesty the King of Bahrain.
Sir Jackie and Lady Stewart married in 1962. They have two sons and nine grandchildren.
About Race Against Dementia:
Race Against Dementia was founded by Sir Jackie Stewart OBE, after his wife Helen’s frontotemporal dementia diagnosis, funding early-career researchers to accelerate progress towards a cure for dementia. With over 55 million people affected globally and someone diagnosed every three seconds, Race Against Dementia is taking immediate action to drive significant breakthroughs and develop leaders in the field.
Supporting Race Against Dementia can help talented research scientists continue to seek preventative treatments and cures for dementia. https://www.raceagainstdementia.com/
“I now face one of the biggest challenges of my life. I will put all my efforts into finding a cure for this horrendous illness.” – Sir Jackie Stewart OBE
About the RRDC:
The Road Racing Drivers Club was formed in 1952 as a way to give champion drivers a say in their sport, particularly in the areas of safety, and has evolved to serve the future of road racing by mentoring new drivers on both amateur and professional levels. The Club's membership includes leading industry professionals, race officials and motorsports journalists, in addition to prominent racing names.
In 2011, the RRDC launched a free on-line training seminar – SAFEisFAST.com – featuring RRDC members and other industry experts in high-quality videos covering subjects from physical and mental preparation to driving techniques, driver safety to car setup and sponsorship. The videos are updated regularly. Each week, a professional from the world of motor racing answers readers' questions on the site in a feature called 'Ask a Pro.'
Bobby Rahal is President and John Fergus is Vice President/Treasurer.
The RRDC presents three annual awards: the Phil Hill Award, the Mark Donohue Award, and the Bob Akin Award, and supports the Team USA Scholarship, which has been assisting young Americans in the early stages of their careers since 1990.
Membership in the RRDC is by invitation only
Written By: Judy Stropus