2009 Rolex 24 Hours At Daytona to test doctors’ endurance but not resolve

Two doctors will take to the road on January 24, at the Daytona International Speedway to raise funds and awareness for their patients, children with a rare genetic disorder. Ron Yarab, Jr. M.D., of Poland, Ohio, a physical medicine and rehab physician and Michael Gomez, M.D., of Madison, Alabama, a child psychiatrist, have both worked with children affected by neurofibromatosis (NF) and will raise funds for their cause through a unique fundraising campaign founded by the Children’s Tumor Foundation (www.ctf.org).

“As a child psychiatrist, I have assisted children who have struggled with genetic disorders, including Neurofibromatosis,” said Gomez. “When I learned of the opportunity to increase awareness for the Children's Tumor Foundation via my passion of auto racing, my support was without hesitation or reservation.”

The doctors will be splitting time with two additional teammates as they drive the Farnbacher Loles Racing #85 Children’s Tumor Foundation Porsche GT3 at the 47th running of the Rolex 24 Hours At Daytona, the nation’s premier automotive endurance race. Each lap the team completes will raise money pledged by donors to the Children’s Tumor Foundation’s Racing4Research program, a program that raises money for clinical trials of potential NF drug treatments.

“The endurance aspect of the race is similar to the endurance aspect of leading a life with neurofibromatosis,” said George Orfanakos, CTF Executive Director. “After 24 straight hours of racing the cars are often very beat up and very run down. The Children’s Tumor Foundation is competing in a race to prevent children from suffering the potentially devastating effects that a lifetime of neurofibromatosis can have on the body and these doctors are helping make sure we win the race. ”

This is the third year of the Racing4Research program that in its first two years raised $150,000. This year the Foundation hopes the program will match the total of the first two years, which would allow the funding of more than 10 separate clinical trials.