Let No Doubt Into Your Dreams and Intentions

The Foundation has 9 items up for bid on Ebay. Five pieces have been there for 10 days, and the last day is starting. There have been no bids. These are five incredible pieces of art. Two are ORIGINAL pieces done with a layman's caring and passionate hand, who wanted to give something back to help the cause, because life was not fair to Hellé Nice. Three additional pieces are limited edition prints, made from an original piece illustrating a moment in time, captured, from a race on the beach at La Baule. It is by an artist who found inspiration in the grace and style of the Bugatti, as well as the grace and style of it's owner. All these pieces are fine examples of the emotion that Hellé Nice still creates in those who come to know her. She's been gone now 26 years, forgotten for over 60, yet she continues to be the subject of artwork! What an enduring personality, and the very reason I founded the Hellé Nice Foundation.

As I sit here tonight, I am distracted and I am concerned. A good portion of the cost of the grave marker rests in getting good prices for these donated pieces. The work order for the marker has been signed off on, the ceremony date is set, the VIPs are being gathered to come to speak in her honor. I am doing all I can. I have to let Hellé's spirit do the rest. She has guided this process from the beginning, since I read Miranda Seymour's book, "The Bugatti Queen", and possibly coerced Miranda was when she was asked to write the book. Hellé was that kind of woman when alive, and she worked very hard at creating Hellé Nice out of Helene Mariette Delangle. I know she is working just as hard from the other side to push this project forward.

I share this with you tonight because I have to. I take every opportunity to spread the word about this foundation as I can. This is what I have been called to do, to identify the resting place of a champion, a dedicated racer, a woman who blazed trails during her time. She will be happy with this - but it's not over when the marker is in place.

After the echoes of song have left the walls of the cemetery, the last flowers have been piled high, the last celebrant has closed the gate, and the last Bugatti has left the grounds, the real work begins. Because I have made a pledge and given my word, Hellé and I will continue to honor those women pioneers of motorsports, the famous and the forgotten,who paved the way for the young girls and women out on the tracks throughout the world today. I will bring them the history of their fore bearers, and I will support them in their efforts to "excel and accelerate", to go beyond their wildest dreams and without limitations!

I challenge you all to join me in this endeavor, to become donors and supporters of the Hellé Nice Foundation. It will be a ride you will not forget!

I have to retire for the evening, and I have to trust that at just about this time tomorrow night there will be winning bids beyond my wildest dreams for those items on eBay, to propel the Foundation on to the next milestone. I will post tomorrow night with the results.

Ready to Rumble!

You may not know her yet, but you soon will! Let me introduce you to Justine Jackson, one of this years VW TDI CUP drivers. She's 19, fresh up from karting, and ready to rumble! She won her place in the TDI Cup Series, and garnered a grant from Lyn St. James' Project Podium, to help offset the cost of racing!

Justine contacted me in January after reading an article about Helle Nice on the ESPN F1 racing site. The message was very timely, as I had just returned from Helle's village of Ste.-Mesme, outside of Paris, that afternoon, having spent most of the day there making plans for the ceremony to place the marker on Helle's grave. Little did I know, Justine would become such an important "spoke in the wheel" . She did not hesitate when I asked her to place the Foundation logo on her car.

I am going to wish her much good luck, quick reflexes, and smart decisions in her upcoming race in New Jersey this weekend, and leave it at that point from me. I am putting Justines press release regarding her first 2 races below. Kevin York, of York Motorsport Group, said in an email to me today that he is " impressed that she has an apparently genuine ability to take what she experienced during that weekend and spin it positively", and that she does. She has processed her performance, and is happy with it as a beginning. Please let her know you support her in her efforts. It's very important at this time in her career. She may not feel it, but she is courageous, determined, and inspiring, both to those of us who never tried racing, and already to those who are looking up to her as a role model, both in her native Jamaica, and those watching her here! Helle would be proud!

The following is Justine's official press -

A GREAT LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR JUSTINE JACKSON AT ROUNDS 1 & 2 OF THE 2010 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA TDI CUP SERIES

The 2010 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Series kicked off its season with its two opening rounds at the VIRginia International Raceway on April 23-25. Justine Jackson, rookie driver in the #40 Project Podium sponsored car had a great weekend finishing 21^st and 19^th in Races 1 and 2 respectively. But it wasn’t the results that made her weekend a great one.

The 2010 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Series marked the first time that Justine would race in a car having had 6 & ½ years of Karting experience. It all began on Thursday when Justine and her dad, Andrew arrived at the track early to get properly seated in her car and later on a track walk with driving instructors Jan Heylen, Andy Lee, Ryan Arciero and Mark Miller with on track action starting at 8 am Friday morning. In practice 1 Justine ended the session 14 seconds off of the pace but with further analysis of her data with the driving instructors and more seat time, by the end of race 2 Justine was 2.5 seconds off of the fastest lap of the race!

Race 1 was a good race for Justine. Despite running around the back, she was able to show why she loves to race and why she’s in this series having fought back and forth with guest driver Tony Swan and huge race veteran. Race 2 was a bit of a disappointment. Justine got off to a great start and picked up 2 places going into turn 1 but was unintentionally tapped on the rear bumper and spun. Returning to the track she spun again, forgetting that her tires had dirt on them. She would lose 23 seconds to those ahead. Despite a bad first lap Justine kept her head down and fought her way back up, making up those 23 seconds finishing a respectable 19^th place.

Justine had this to say:

“What a great weekend! Despite some disappointing results I had so much fun this weekend, the most I’ve had racing in a long time. My goal for the weekend was to get comfortable in the car and to gain as much seat time as possible and that’s exactly what I did. And it showed in my improvement in my lap times and confidence on track. It was so awesome getting to work with all the other drivers and the driving instructors who were so willing to help out! This race weekend was not only my first race in a car but my first race in the United States along with several other series. I was especially excited to see the Rolex Sports Car Series. I learnt so much throughout the weekend and there are so many great people involved in the series and I feel so blessed to be apart of it! A big thank you to my sponsors Project Podium and its partners, Jetcon Corporation, and the wonderful support of the Helle Nice Foundation. I could never have done this without my Heavenly Father and I’m so grateful for such a great opportunity. I’m really looking forward to Round 3 at The New Jersey Motorsports Park and I can’t wait to get on track and continue to learn more and move up in the pack!”

--
Justine Jackson

First Days in the City of Light

Well, here I am in Paris! Retromobile starts on Friday, so these first days are just tourist things, not car related at all.

Let me state here for the record, that I love Paris as much as I love cars! So the following is my tourist take on the city before the car show.

I have noticed since I was here last that the streets are filled with Smart Cars! They are very popular in London, but I had no idea how "big" they are here! I stood and watched in amazement as a guy parked one in a spot I could not have put a bicycle in! Speaking of bicycles, the traffic is brutal, and there are some very brave (?) souls who ride bicycles in between cars in rush hour. You decide - I suppose it can't be much worse than just trying to cross the street here sometimes, though. I am set up to broadcast "live" via Skype from the show back to Track Chic Live , good Lord willing - but as you know, as good as the internet is, there are still inherent problems on both sides to make the connections. Stay tuned, and I will keep updates posted. I went wandering today, I think I walked about a million miles. From the Museé Orsay up through the Tuileries to the Champs Elysees, to the Arc de Triumph, and back down. I had heard good things about the Museé Orsay. It is written up to be the second most important museum in Paris. It's true claim to fame is the building. It is housed in a restored train station, with it's massive working clock housed at one end of this beautiful barrel roofed structure. There are the usual occupants, Manet, Monet, a prized Renoir, Degas, Van Gogh (minor works), Toulouse-Latrec, Cezanne, and a great many sculptures by artists not known to me. Interesting , though,is the exhibit of the incredible scaled models of the Opera Garnier and set designs for shows performed there, and the model of the Opera housed beneath your feet under plexiglass. My first choice is still the Louvre. Make the Orsay a distant second.
Late afternoon, my wanderings took me to the top of Notre Dame for an incredible visit with the gargoyles and to see Quasimoto's bell. The only thing missing up there was a great bottle of champagne! It's a fabulous way to see the city, but the climb is not for the short of breath, and the walk back down all those tiny, narrow steps is not for the weak kneed - but very worth it! Go up as late as they will let you. I was able to stay until about 4:45 pm to get some great photos of the sun beginning to set with the lights in Paris below just beginning to flicker on. Please forgive my tourist ramblings. There isn't much going on in the car world on these first few days, so enjoy the tourist tips!
Oh, and I take photos. I take photos to document my trips. I take lots of photos to get a few good shots. Check out a few good shots at my Flickr page - www.flickr.com/photos/sgreene . Check back, as more are uploaded often.


Sheryl

The Hellé Nice Foundation, Inc.
Email: hellenicefoundation@gmail.com
404-429-9600

"Excel and Accelerate"

Paris in 6

I have arrived in Paris for 6 days for Retromobile! My flight was uneventful, as they should be, and my first day on Wednesday was dedicated to s-l-e-e-p. The 6 hour difference is not so bad, but I think rolled in with the frustration and excitement of getting here just wears me out. It was rainy and cold when I came in, and coupled with no sleep overnight on the flight, I was toast! Dozed in the lobby of my hotel while I waited on the room to be ready, made it through a nice warm bath and crashed until late afternoon. Finally got motivated to dress and get out before the sun went down. It doesn't get daylight good until 9:00 am this time of year, and it's dark by 6:00 pm. The city is well lit and safe after dark, and photo ops abound, so off I went! I saw the Eiffel Tower last night! Now, you can see it in books, you can see it on television, but to come face to face with this incredible bohemoth is a sight. I had no idea just how large it is! It was truly awesome! I have never felt as dwarfed by a manmade structure. Beautifully lit, it is a monument to engineering. Please resist the temptation to buy a glowing pink or blue replica to take home. The guys selling these are, fortunately, not voracious, just numerous.

There's something about Paris. It has a style and a culture we have no way of emulating. Parisians, as well as most Europeans I have found, revel in the antiquity of their countries. America is too caught up in the new, the shiny, the big. The streets I walk today here are built on Roman carriage ways (probably dinosaur trails previous to that). More than 40 years ago, some old houses were being torn down in front of Notre Dame to give the public a better view and to build a parking deck (sound familiar?), well, in the excavation, they uncovered these ancient streets! The parking deck was not build, and the streets have been excavated out so that you can see them in the Crypt at Notre Dame. Similar sites have been uncovered at the Louvre as well. These are fascinating.

Hellé walked these streets, she drove through these streets, danced here as well. I wonder which cafes gained her favor? Did she stroll along the Seine arm in arm? Did she walk the same places I did today, looking in shop windows at Guerlain and Chanel and Dior? She had the money to shop there, I do not. What was the name of her yacht? Where did she moor it? Did she captain it or hire someone? Where did they sail? Did she and Marcel and Courc race through these streets in the early hours of the morning, up the Champs-Elysees, around the Arc de Triumph?

I hope she will be pleased, I am taking her roses on Monday -

jusqu' à demain,

Sheryl

Off to Retromobile

Well, next week is the big trip to Paris for Retromobile. It's a vintage and classic car show and auction, celebrating it's 35th year. This year's theme is the history of the automobile, which promises some incredible antique vehicles. Featured marques are Mercedes, highlighting the "Gullwing", Mazda's 90th birthday, 200 years of Peugot, 100 years of Alfa, and the always present Citroen. I have meetings set up with rally people, Bugatti folks, and anyone else who will listen! I am also travelling by train to Ste-Mesme, Hellés hometown, to meet with some good people there, and to see firsthand where Hellé is buried.
I've been working on lots of things leading up to the trip. I have had the business cards reprinted in a better shade of blue, much closer this time to "Bugatti" blue. I've also had "Hellé Nice Project" postcards printed, detailing why I'm raising funds., as well as designing additional promotional pieces to give away or sell on the website later in the year.
Theresa Earnheart is interviewing me tomorrow on TrackChic Live for a program to be broadcast later in the week on racefanradio.com , and I'm going to be able to do a segment from Retromobile as well, thanks to the miracles of modern technology.

I want to thank my friend, Pat Yongue, for the gift of two of the most wonderful books to start my Women's History of Motorsports collection - "Fast Ladies, Female Racing Drivers, 1888-1970" by Jean Francois Bouzanquet, full of incredible photos and lots of inspiring information, and Rally Cup Winner, Genevieve "Genny" Obert's ,"Prince Borghese's Trail", the documenting her trip on the great Paris to Peking Rally in 1997 . I am saving this tome for the plane trip next week.

One of my goals in keeping this blog is to educate the reader about the history of women in motorsports, as well as the characters and the roles they played in shaping the future for those who came later. I will highlight the women drivers, with mini biographies, and give history as I see it both from a womans perspective and as I see how women have and are affecting the sport today. Bear with me -

Heading to Houston

Wow! How this year has flown! Last year, I had just gotten a call from Lyn St. James to talk about what the Hellé Nice Foundation was doing, and since then I have been to Lyn's Women In The Winner's Circle Foundation luncheon, where she honors young women in racing in her program. She's doing good work, and getting the girls out there on the track prepared to win. I have also been fortunate to hook up with Theresa Earnheart of TrackChic , and have given my first "Girls Garage Party" to help provide funding for the foundation, as well as having been interviewed by Theresa on her new weekly radio show "TrackChic Live" on racefanradio.com
I am continuing to build awareness for the Foundation by travelling to Paris in late January for Retromobile . It is a yearly automotive gathering for enthusiasts and collectors of vintage and classic cars. I have a list of people to meet up with and chat,to try and get them on board with the memorial service for Hellé Nice , as well as marking her burial site by placing a bronze plaque on her unmarked grave. I will keep you posted through out the week I am there with blogs and photos.
Now, the "Heading to Houston" part - I will be heading west to meet up with Patricia Yongue, an incredible woman who is best known as an associate professor of English at the University of Houston. That not being enough, she's also an automotive historian, specializing in Women in automotive and racing history from the early 1900's to the Second World War. I think she has taken me on as a project. We are going to discuss chartering the Hellé Nice Society, as well as how to push forward the Hellé Nice Foundation.
More as the days go by -

Sheryl

Debut of "TrackChic Live!"

Sunday November 8, 2009, TrackChic Live, a radio show being brought to you by the creator of TrackChic (www.trackchic.com), one of the greatest, and in my own humble opinion, THE BEST, site for women fans of racing, and for fans of women racers!

Broadcasting live from the final SCCA(www.scca.org)race of the season at Road Atlanta, and brought to you by RaceFanRadio.com with video by GoRacingTV.com, guest include Colbi Bradley, TC Guest driver, and Rebecca Single, as well as an interview with me, Sheryl Greene, founder of The Hellé Nice Foundation. I will be discussing the projects on the table for the upcoming months.

The show starts at 11:00am to 12:30 pm on RaceFanRadio.com. Stop by and check it out. If you miss the live broadcast, you can pick it up anytime. TrackChic Live is going to begin broadcast every Thursday at 7:00 pm as well, to keep us all updated on the women in motorsports!

I am hoping to have a wireless connection to blog live, well, sort of, and to upload almost live photos I've taken at the track.

More tomorrow