Jim Rosenblum, owner of FDNY Racing is returning this year to Daytona in the Camping World Truck Series event on February 20th with driver Ryan Ellis of Virginia. Jim, a likeable and somewhat gruff spoken New Yorker, has been associated with NASCAR racing for approximately 50 years, give or take a few. He is one of my favorite racing personalities to speak to and the message displayed on his truck is one of great importance and pride. I spoke with Jim last weekend and asked him to speak to us about his history with NASCAR competition. He is not a man that brags about his racing past and is a man of few words. He would rather let the hood and deck lid of his truck speak for itself. He pacified me, however, with the following:
He became involved in NASCAR racing, “…in the late 60’s. A friend of mine, Jim Rathmann, won the 1960 Indy 500 and finished second a couple of times so I got interested in that and Jim also raced in NASCAR off and on. I was also friends with Joco (Chauncey) Maggiacomo and raced with him, some. Then I ran SCCA and won the SCCA Trans Am Championship and raced some in NASCAR Winston Cup. That evolved into starting a team. When they started the truck series we ran some Cup races and the trucks for a couple of years and then just concentrated on the trucks. Cup was just getting too expensive. In the beginning our truck number was 51 and then we switched to the number 28. And after 9/11 we changed our truck to the FDNY Racing of today and dedicated it to the emergency first responders and we’ve been doing it ever since.”
“Some people think that the Fire Department and the Police Department give us money to race. They don’t give us anything except a hard time (laughing). The first couple of years after 9/11 we raised a lot of money, but, it’s just like with everything else, people forget. That’s why we want to honor the 9/11 Memorial and Museum at Ground Zero. We’re going to put them on the deck lid to hopefully help people remember, to remember that day and the lives lost and those that were changed forever. All of our team members are first responders, the Fire Department, the Police Department. All of them. They’ve all been down there at 9/11. They’re all downtown.”
“Our racing plans for 2015 include Daytona, Charlotte, Talladega, Pocono, and possibly Martinsville and Bristol. If we win the lottery we’ll run all of them (laughing). We ran 2 ARCA tests off season and we’re probably going to run the ARCA race at Daytona, as well, with Brian Dauzat and Andy Scuss. Andy won the Modified Championship this year.
In 2004 Mayor Bloomberg presented Rosenblum the New York Post’s Liberty Medal Award and then in 2008 Jim was named Honorary Battalion Chief in the Fire Department of New York. He lost friends and associates on 9/11 and his dedication to first responders and the families of those heroes who have lost their lives continues to this day. Giving back to others through the FDNY “Widows and Children’s Fund” & the NYPD “Widows and Childdren’s fund”. That link can be found on Jim Rosenblum/FDNY Racing web page: http://www.fdnyracing.com/
“All of our team members are first responders from the Fire Department and the Police Department.”
Many people across this country find it difficult to remember what happened that day in 2001 in New York City. I personally don’t believe we should or can afford to forget. Remember the April 15, 2013 Boston Marathon bombings? And the news has recently reported that our Government acknowledges terrorist “sleeper cells” on US soil, much like those who attacked the Charlie magazine in France and literally murdered so many recently. It most definitely can happen again, just as soon as we become comfortable and less vigilant.
NASCAR racing is expensive but with no sponsorship and paying all costs out of pocket it’s just too costly for FDNY Racing to run a full schedule. This whole team shouts, not merely hints, of patriotism. And they do their best to honor not only the fallen heroes of 9/11 or the nationwide fallen first responders, past and present, but those who, without thought, perform these dangerous jobs day in and day out, 24/7. Where would we be without them? That’s too frightening to conceive or consider.
Potential sponsors looking for a great way to present their brand while promoting National pride and awareness need look no farther than this team. Sponsorship and team information can be found at www.fdnyracing.com
We at Catchfence.com are always proud to present Jim and this team to our readers and wish them great success and safety. Thanks Jim. Call anytime.
