Kingdom Racing

It’s admittedly been a while since we delivered an update to our fans. Please accept our most sincere and humble apologies for that. God has kept us quite busy in His service over the last couple of months and our focus has been more on ministry than reporting about it. We promise to do better in the coming weeks and months with plenty of reading material to show how God is doing great and amazing things through Kingdom Racing in the INDYCAR Series!

Since our last update, we’ve spent an amazing month of May at Indianapolis, placing three entries into the 500 including our first female driver, visited Victory Lane for the first time at the Duals in Detroit, battled from the back of the pack under the lights at Texas Motor Speedway, and ran a solid race at the Milwaukee Mile. But then again, that’s just what happened on the track. Our ministry efforts and the many things God has shown us over the last two months have been nothing short of incredible.

We successfully hosted Miles of Smiles families and guests throughout the month at Indianapolis as well as the weekends at Detroit, Texas, and Milwaukee. Simply put, God has paired the right people at the right time, each and all for His Glory. Along the way, the entire team has witnessed things take place that most people would chalk up to mere coincidence, yet we know is undeniable evidence that God is guiding us through something very big in His plan. It has been a spiritually humbling, inspiring, and empowering ride this entire season, and we’ve already done more for Christ than in any previous year. We will be sharing these stories over the next few weeks and pray that God’s ultimate power and authority will shine through each of them to our friends and fans.

Lastly, we will be introducing some new ways you can be a part of the action in supporting the Kingdom Racing ministry by joining us out at the track and helping to lay the foundation for the future of our team, so look for updates in the coming days regarding those amazing opportunities as well!

All for Him, we are… KR!

Charles West
Team Director

Challenges are an undeniable part of life, and Kingdom Racing has endured several over the past few weeks. It’s all part of being in The Lord’s service and a veritable sign that we’re doing something right for Him! Knowing that in our hearts, the challenges we’ve faced have been incredible blessings of encouragement.

One of the most beautiful facets of Kingdom Racing is the team’s ability to step right over whatever obstacle might be thrown in our path and perform the commission God gave us without stumbling or faltering a single bit. Our faith unfailingly guides us.

Over the past few weeks, we have been blessed by some amazing souls that God placed directly in our paths through the Miles of Smiles ministry. God’s own fingerprints can be directly seen in this ministry. Things happen which have no other reasonable explanation than the beautiful hand of our Creator.

At Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama, Kingdom Racing was honored to host Brandon, a young man along with his parents and their local hosts. Now 22, Brandon suffered spinal and brain injuries at the age of 16 which left him paralyzed and stole his once gifted athleticism. His father even quit his job to stay at home and care for him, and he continues to lovingly do so today.

Brandon does not like to get out of the house much and prefers to remain rather reclusive. What happened on race day in Birmingham was nothing short of awe-inspiring. Brandon came out of his shell. Sure, he and his family got to see and experience everything behind the scenes of the Schmidt Hamilton Motorsports INDYCAR team, but it was his personal meeting with Sam Schmidt that moved all of us.

When Brandon lost use of his limbs and became confined to a wheelchair, he lost the athleticism that defined his youth. He was once a talented competitor in multiple sports, sports full of iconic heroes. What he needed was a new hero to look up to, and in Sam Schmidt, he found the best one he possibly could have.  Brandon saw through Sam that he did not have to be limited by his given station in life and that even from the seat of a wheelchair, he could accomplish his wildest dreams.

Brandon said before leaving with his family, “I can honestly say that today is the most fun I’ve had in a very long time.” That says it all right there.  However, what was also really cool was when one of the crew members came over and applied a No. 55 decal on the base of Brandon’s wheelchair to match the 77 on Sam’s. The joy resonating from Brandon and his parents was gorgeous. It will be awesome to see how far Brandon goes with newfound inspiration and drive. Hopefully, we’ll get to follow up with him again next season and see his progress in person!

Matthew Sparrazza of Neighborhood Christian Fellowship in the Los Angeles area has been a great blessing to Kingdom Racing and the INDYCAR Ministry since early last season. God crossed our paths at Long Beach in 2012 and that led to a Miles of Smiles partnership at Fontana for the season finale. It was only natural for us to pick right back up where we left off, and work on identifying guests began in earnest during the offseason.

At Long Beach, we were incredibly blessed to meet and fellowship with Richard, a local gentleman whose grandson, Devin, suffered a fractured skull and has been undergoing intense medical treatment for the last 18 months. You can read all about Devin on Richard’s blog, http://devinadamsupdates.blogspot.com. Please take a few moments to read through the blog and you will better understand all the struggles, physical, emotional, and spiritual, that Richard's family has had to endure. In our discussions with Richard, it was evident that the Lord was working through the entire family in response to Devin’s situation. Following the race on Sunday, we parted ways and knew immediately that our anticipation and goal would be to meet Devin out at the racetrack in the future and become friends with this precious little boy.

One more thing, we had the absolute pleasure and honor of partnering up with the Living Waters ministry at Long Beach again this year, as we did in a different capacity in 2012. On Friday, we spent time with Living Waters personnel going out and witnessing personally and directly to fans along the midway at the Long Beach Grand Prix. This partnership was highlighted during a recent episode of ‘On the Box with Ray Comfort’ featuring Alan Pearson. Click here to watch the episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhtXx1plBoY

It is hard to fathom that we are only three races into the season. We haven’t even reached Indianapolis yet. We already have a full slate lined up there, not only for Miles of Smiles, but what is sure to be a hallmark event in the Give Me Jesus tour concert and TrackFest, presented by Kingdom Racing on Mother’s Day, May 12^th at IMS. For more information or to purchase tickets, check out our website, www.KingdomRacing.net or ims.com/Building429

Lastly, check out this great video put together by Matt Sperrazza covering our weekend together at Long Beach: http://youtu.be/F0Wz7lSZjHo

We’ll see everyone in Indianapolis!

All for Him, we are… KR!

In Christ,
Charles West
Team Director

For Immediate Release

Contact: Diane Morrow

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Give Me Jesus Tour To Rock Indianapolis 500 Opening Weekend

Kingdom Racing partners with Indianapolis Motor Speedway for concert, activities May 12

Houston — Kingdom Racing, a Christian racing team launched in 2008, is partnering with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to present the Give Me Jesus Tour concert and other fan activities Sunday, May 12 at IMS during the Opening Weekend of the 97^th Indianapolis 500.

The concert, which starts at 4 p.m. on the Pagoda Stage, will feature music from outstanding Christian groups such as Building 429, the Rhett Walker Band and Finding Favour, along with special guest Carlos Whittaker, a recording artist, worship pastor and popular “Ragamuffin Soul” blogger. The concert is included in the $10 general admission for the day, which also includes Indianapolis 500 practice from noon-6 p.m. Children under 12 are admitted free when accompanied by an adult general admission ticket holder.

An IndyCar Series race car will be available for fans to have their pictures taken, as well as autograph and question-and-answer sessions with Kingdom Racing drivers and other celebrities.

“We are an INDYCAR racing team with a unique mission to deliver God’s Word through motorsports,” said Kingdom Racing founder and co-owner George Del Canto. “We are thrilled to be able to partner with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to hold our first big event of the year at the most respected of all racetracks. We are praying that many fans and even the drivers themselves will be reached with the good news of Jesus Christ.”

Kingdom Racing’s unique outreach program combines exciting INDYCAR races along with top Christian entertainment provided at trackside fan festivals and deeply personal VIP outreach through its Miles of Smiles ministry, which ministers to people experiencing difficulties or loss as identified and nominated through local organizations and churches.

Kingdom Racing has had five years of proven race performance with INDYCAR drivers Davey Hamilton, Martin Plowman, Simon Pagenaud and Tristan Vautier. Together, they have run five consecutive Indianapolis 500 Mile Races and concluded their first full season of INDYCAR competition in 2012.

Two other Kingdom Racing Fan Festivals at are scheduled for 2013, June 8 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth and Oct. 5-6 at the Grand Prix of Houston. The Miles of Smiles ministry will be in full operation at 10 races throughout the season, running through Oct. 19 with the MAV TV 500 INDYCAR World Championships in Fontana, Calif.

“The Indianapolis Motor Speedway has held a special place in my heart since I was a little boy,” Del Canto said. “To partner with the IMS on the Give Me Jesus Tour is nothing less than a dream come true for myself and Kingdom Racing. We hope to inspire and enrich all who attend with a terrific event on May 12 at The Greatest Race Course in the World.”

For more information, visit www.KingdomRacing.net or join their fan communities at KingdomRacing on

Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

To examine the box score for the Honda Indy Grand Prix of St. Petersburg doesn’t color a successful picture of the opening round of the 2013 INDYCAR Series for Kingdom Racing. The numbers are right there in the open for all to see.

Simon Pagenaud completed only 26 laps and finished 24^th while rookie Tristan Vautier came in 21^st, completing 69 out of the event’s 110 laps, eventually won by first time winner James Hinchcliffe of rival Andretti Autosport.

The full box score can be seen here: http://www.indycar.com/~/media//Files/2013/IZOD-IndyCar-Series/01-STP/01-STP-BoxScore

It is said that numbers don’t lie, but they don’t tell the whole truth either. What those numbers above could never reveal is the successful weekend that Kingdom Racing delivered and experienced off the track.

Put simply, it was incredible.

The entire KR team has been working very hard in the off-season to prepare for 2013. Moreover, God has blessed us with some amazing gifts and talents also. It is without a doubt that Kingdom Racing is heading into the 2013 season stronger and more prepared than ever before.

or example, we weren’t merely focused on St. Petersburg alone last weekend. Alan Litvak and Bill Edwards remained home in Houston and represented Kingdom Racing at the annual Hot Wheels & BBQ event at Second Baptist Church, Houston.

Their presence was an incredibly successful blessing to a huge crowd of folks who came out to see some amazing cars on display and devour copious amounts of delicious home cooked barbecue.

During the event at Second Baptist, Bill and Alan were joined by Alan’s daughter, Courtney, who along with the elder statesmen of Kingdom Racing, interfaced with the crowd handing out a ton of our brand new 2013 KR Hero Cards, and generally got some new fans fired up about Kingdom Racing and our mission to reach 1,000,000 men for Jesus Christ. Most inspirational however, were the many stories of folks who came up to each of them and proclaimed how they were already aware of Kingdom Racing and prayed regularly for the team and our mission. What wonderful news it is to hear that! It certainly accounts for the many successes we’ve had over the last several months. Without God’s incredible blessings, none of this would be possible. That is an absolute.

Kudos go out to Bill, Alan, and Courtney for their valiant efforts at Second Baptist Houston to spread God’s Word and tell folks how KR is serving Him in the racing world.

Back in Florida, we dedicated and activated our new centerpiece, the official Kingdom Racing Hospitality Unit. During the off-season, God provided the funding and provisions for us to acquire what would truly become a House of God for our use while at the race track. This “HU” as we call it will be making appearances at many of the racing venues throughout the 2013 season and beyond.

Before we ever put the HU into service, it was imperative that we have an informal ceremony to officially commemorate the unit as a House of God and dedicate it to His service as long as it is in our care. David Storvick of the INDYCAR Ministry graciously conducted this dedication ceremony for us on Friday, March, 22^nd by quoting from 1 Timothy 6:

“⁷ For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. ⁸ But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. ⁹ Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰ For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

¹¹ But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. ¹² Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. ¹³ In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you ¹⁴ to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁵ which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, ¹⁶ who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.

¹⁷ Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. ¹⁸ Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. ¹⁹ In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

²⁰ Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, ²¹ which some have professed and in so doing have departed from the faith.

Grace be with you all.”

The reading and the ceremony were absolutely perfect and poignant for the true purpose of the HU, denoting that it is a gift from God above, set aside for His use, and that we are entrusted as gracious stewards in its care and mission. David, thank you from all of us at Kingdom Racing!

Throughout the weekend at St. Petersburg, the HU was deployed and its doors opened for God’s Glory.

Throughout Saturday and Sunday, over 200 people enjoyed the comforts, shelter, and refreshments of the HU, provided by a spectacular staff assembled by Davey Hamilton and his team. They simply did an amazing job and deserve a round of applause.

However, the most important guests of all arrived on Sunday for race day. For the first time in 2013, we activated our Miles of Smiles ministry and hosted a young father named Clayton and his son Dylan as our VIP guests for the Grand Prix. Huge thanks must go out to Dave and Barbi of the Calvary Chapel in St. Petersburg for nominating and accompanying Clayton and Dylan to the event. They helped make the event such a success.

Something that is always so striking is the disparate looks on the Miles of Smiles guest’s faces before and after the event. There really is a discernible difference and they always leave in such high spirits with massive smiles on their faces. It’s not that they show up sad or anything, but by the time they left, it is undeniably apparent that they have been touched by the Holy Spirit. Internally, we’ve debated whether the name ‘Miles of Smiles’ is the correct one we should be using for the ministry program. Seeing the results, the name is absolutely perfect and should never change. Through God’s Grace, Kingdom Racing had a definite and direct impact on this young father and his son and it is going to be amazing to see where our relationship will take us next. Miles of Smiles weekends are not temporary. Rather, they mark the beginning of a wonderful relationship with some amazing people that God sends before us. That alone is very humbling and precious. It is always hard to say goodbye once the race is over, but we know that there is more to come in our conversation. That delivers hope to each of us.

As we wrapped up the weekend in St. Pete, the entire team sprung into action to help tear down and pack up the HU right alongside the staff. We came to be servants and stewards, and through our collective efforts, that was deeply evident. We walked away in sheer amazement of what God has put before us again in the INDYCAR Series. It is incredible to see how this team has grown, evolved, coalesced, and become a very close family serving as the hands and feet of Christ over the past year. From where we were at the beginning of 2012 until now, it literally is awe inspiring for each and every one of us. To look back at the very beginning of Kingdom Racing leaves us all dumbfounded. God has been so great to His mission.

All for Him, we are… KR!

In Christ,

Charles West
Team Director