Updated: NASCAR’s Kyle Busch Joins NHRA’s Doug Herbert in Promoting Safe Driving for Teens

Doug Herbert at a BRAKES session

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Put On the B.R.A.K.E.S. Inc. Graduates 3,000th Student this Month

NASCAR’s Kyle Busch Joins NHRA’s Doug Herbert in Promoting Safe Driving for Teens

Concord, N.C.  (Friday, July 29, 2011) – B.R.A.K.E.S. (Be Responsible And Keep Everyone Safe), founded in 2008 by professional NHRA drag racer Doug Herbert will graduate its 3,000th student next month and the organization will expand the role of one of the Nation’s most popular racecar drivers with its team.  Kyle Busch, driver for Kyle Busch Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing in NASCAR’s top three driving series’ will join Doug Herbert in helping to promote the benefits of proactive driver education for new teenage drivers. 

“This month marks an important milestone as we graduate our 3,000th student.  While Kyle has supported B.R.A.K.E.S. in the past by helping our fundraising events, we are very excited that he’s stepping up his involvement with us even further.” said Doug Herbert, Founder of B.R.A.K.E.S.  “Kyle will help us put additional teens through our school as well as enhance our awareness campaign focusing on the number one killer of teens in America.” 

The Kyle Busch Foundation has agreed to sponsor ten schools putting more than 300 students through the B.R.A.K.E.S. half-day school over the next year.  Kyle will be joining Doug Herbert in several public service announcements promoting B.R.A.K.E.S. as well as incorporating the organization as an associate sponsor on his No. 18 NASCAR Truck entry. 

“Doug took a very tragic situation and turned it into something very positive” stated Kyle Busch.  “After spending time with Doug and getting to hear his story, it’s easy to see why he’s so passionate about this cause. I hope to not only increase awareness for their cause, but also learn from them through my involvement. It’s very easy to make judgment errors when we’re behind the wheel and today’s teens are particularly vulnerable since they don’t usually have the advanced education or experience.  I’m looking forward to working further with Doug and the B.R.A.K.E.S. team as they continue their mission of keeping teens safe behind the wheel”. 

Put On The B.R.A.K.E.S. will be hosting its third annual benefit dinner and auction on Thursday, September 15th, 2011 at the Speedway Club at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.  Tickets are $150/person with table and corporate sponsorships available.  For ticket or donation information call Laura Lovett at 704-720-3806 or go towww.putonthebrakes.org

Kyle Busch answered questions from the media at Indianapolis including: What is your involvement with the B.R.A.K.E.S. program? “Just talking with Doug Herbert the past few weeks and our relationship and what I’ve been able to learn from him about the B.R.A.K.E.S.  program and stuff has been really, really good. Those guys have a great program and do a lot of great work for kids that may not know exactly what driving a car entails.  It’s certainly a lot more than just being able to make it from point A to point B sometimes.  For me to be able to do a little bit more around that program and help the kids be able to get through the program -- we’re working towards the 3,000th graduate -- Doug is and I’ll be working towards about 300 of those new kids getting through the program and taking some initiative there to help them through it and give them some advice and give them my story.  I want to help Doug deliver his story and then of course help him out through some of the courses as well too that they do.”

About B.R.A.K.E.S.

B.R.A.K.E.S., which stands for Be Responsible and Keep Everyone Safe, is a non-profit organization founded in 2008 by NHRA Top Fuel drag racer Doug Herbert in memory of his two sons, Jon and James, who were killed in a car accident in January 2008.  By training and educating teenage drivers and their parents, the organization aims to promote safe driving in an attempt to prevent injuries and save lives.  For more information, visit http://www.putonthebrakes.org/