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CORPORATE AND PRIVATE GRAND PRIXS • ENDURANCE RACE EVENTS • RACING SCHOOL
- MEET THE DON SWANSON RACING ENTERPRISES STAFF -
- CORPORATE GRAND PRIX -
Our school was created by and is run by actual racing drivers. REAL Racing drivers that actually race! We are proud to tell you who will be working with you during your day at the school. We also have a professional executive/administrative staff that includes two of the most enthusiastic and talented woman around.
At the Don Swanson Racing School we think it's only right that you should know who you are working with and who instructs you. We don't teach employees without racing experience how to be racing instructors. Students want to be taught by someone who's been there, done that, not by someone who works at a school to GET there and do that. We start by choosing only talented, experienced, Championship caliber racing drivers with the right attitude, provide them with a format, then let them present you with the priceless tools you need to expedite your racing or driving career!
Our instructors have over 200 years of combined racing experience to share with you. Combined, our instructors have over 175 racing victories and numerous Championships! When it comes to talent, we've got you covered. Don't settle for less. Get the most out of what you pay for. Our school will give you that.
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DON SWANSON - FOUNDER / PRESIDENT / INSTRUCTOR
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With a career that started in a Soap Box Derby car to racing at major events like the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, Don’s knowledge and experience in many forms of racing is a priceless tool to all student's performance driving or racing aspirations. His passion for motor racing is evident in his approach of sharing years of valuable driving secrets with students. He has always approached driving as a serious yet rewarding activity if done correctly. In developing the curriculum for the school he has included science, physics and geometry as a way to explain the phenomenon of creating speed through better understanding and car control techniques.
Don has raced karts, hydroplanes, drag cars, sports cars (Mazda, Porsche, Ferrari, Mustang, Pontiac, Lotus, BMW, Nissan), vintage sports and formula cars (March, Lola, Lotus, Ralt, Swift). He has or is racing in IMSA, SCCA PRO, NHRA, ADRA, VARA, ALMS, and has held an FIA Grade “A” rating. He was the first 'privateer' team owner/driver in the history of IMSA to be sponsored by a Fortune 500 company. Panasonic, Mazda, Coors Beer, GTE, Motorola, Yokohama, Kendall Motor Oil, Firestone, and France Telecom were some of the companies that Don was significantly sponsored by when he was racing in IMSA. He now has many new, exciting marketing partners that he is extremely proud to have on board.
He has tasted Victory 45 times in his career and has won three Championships and holds track records in sports car racing. He has been a precision test driver for certification companies verifying performance claims made by various sports car manufacturers. He is also a graduate of the Skip Barber Racing School in the early 80's and actually taught there for 2 years in the mid-90's.
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STEPHANIE SULLIVAN - V.P. OPERATIONS & CORPORATE EVENTS SPECIALIST
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| As an executive assistant to CEO's, COO's and Top Executives throughout San Diego, Stephanie brings a World of corporate knowledge to our racing school. She has worked for years at some of the top firms in San Diego including Kodak, Peregrine Systems, Burnham and a large pharmaceutical company. She handled the day-to-day functions of corporate travel, meetings, trade shows, hospitality and also dealt with the legality issues of today's hectic business environment. She has a passion for details and makes sure every event is created and orchestrated in the most productive way possible.
She has been a long time model in both electronic and print media and is a member of a Producers Group based in Del Mar, California where she writes, produces, directs and hosts shows for Public Access Television. She also does 'voiceover' work for a variety of clients. She will be the DSRS television and radio spots talent.
Her enthusiasm for motor racing and the needs of our students and corporate accounts makes her a welcomed addition to our staff. We are all pleased to have her on our team!
Her photo on the left was taken at the 2003 Long Beach Grand Prix. Here, she stands next to the pace car she was given a ride in as a VIP guest of the event.
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SCOTT SCOTT -
V.P. REGIONAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
STAFF INSTRUCTOR AND EVENT LOGISTICS
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| Graduate of the Elf Winfield Motor Racing School in Europe. Scott was not only a graduate but finished in the top 5 out of over 200 drivers at the Circuit Paul Ricard in the South of France. This was rare for an American driver to go over to France and compete with Europe's best racing prospects. Alain Prost and many other Formula 1 racing drivers came out of this prestigious school which uses Renault Turbo formula cars. Scott has also spent time in sports car racing and has done work with the Yokohama Racing Tires Division. He has traveled throughout the United States and Europe working on professional racing teams. He is a quick and smooth racing driver and his natural ability comes from his extensive, ongoing training program. Scott operates Palm Spring’s premiere hiking and guide service, Trail Discovery/Desert Safari when he is not sharing his valuable years of experience with students.
Hiking 20-60 miles a week, Scott has the key ingredient to beinG a successful racing driver, physical fitness. The better shape you stay in the better you will perform any demanding task in your life and Scott epitomizes what a serious racing driver trains like. Scott’s experience and the knowledge he has gained gives him valuable information to share with students.
His experience, and the respect he's earned working with Destination Management companies as well as major hotel chains and travel agencies, adds tremendous value to our staff. The professional manner in which Scott handles corporate and executive accounts is another reason we are happy to have hime on board.
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FRANCES BER - SALES AND PROMOTIONS
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| A detailed BIO on Frances will be available soon.
Here's some quick facts. Frances, like all of our valued staff members is not only enthusiastic about our business but she loves motor racing. On top of that, talk about a busy girl. She runs, bikes and swims in Triathlons and has recently climbed to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa. She has worked in marketing, promotions and sales for some of San Diego's largest companies. She has a Masters Degree in Physycology and loves working with and helping people reach their true potential.
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NICK KUNEWALDER - LEAD STAFF INSTRUCTOR
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We are thrilled to have Nick on our racing school instructor staff. He is one of the most experienced, well versed instructors in the country. In our continuing efforts to be the best performance driving school on the West Coast, having Nick on board is an exciting addition. He has been working as a race and performance driving instructor. He has been a stunt driver for films, a pace driver, test, stunt and corporate driver teaching advanced driving techniques. He has instructed at the Skip Barber Racing School, Derek Daly Academy of Performance Driving, Rally Art, Precision Dynamics, Autopian Motorsports Country Club, Automotive Manufacturer Consultants Inc., IMSA - Motor Trend Product Testing, 20 /20 Sports Marketing, ESI Event Solutions International, Maritz Communications and others. Currently, among all of the other things that Nick has going, he is the Head Judge for the World Drifting Competition.
He has also conducted Corporate Manufacturer Programs for Ferrari, BMW, Mercedes, Toyota, Infiniti, Audi, Nissan, Saab, Mazda, Dodge, GM, Chrysler, Volkswagen, and Porsche. He has raced in the Jim Russel Pro Series, Barber Saab Pro Racing Series, IMSA GTU, Formula Atlantic, Indy Lights, American Indy Car Series and has been a pace car driver at the Long Beach Grand Prix for 5 years. Before his racing career got under way, Nick was a professional ski racer competing in the International Speed Skiing Tour, the Coors American Pro Tour, Puegeot Pro Tour and the World Pro Tour. Nick also graduated from the Skip Barber Racing School.
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ADAM MITCHELL - STAFF INSTRUCTOR
Adam is a graduate of the Skip Barber Racing School and a professional dirt and asphalt Sprint car and Midget driver. Adam got his racing career started in Speedway Midget racing and found himself in the Winner’s Circle many times. At the advice of a friend, Adam enrolled in the Skip Barber Racing School and considered a change in career to sports cars and road racing in general.
Upon completing the Skip Barber program some effort was made to initiate a road racing program but the love of Sprint cars and Midgets found him moving to Indianapolis, sharing a shop with Stan Fox (Sprint, Midget and Indy Car driver) and racing throughout the Midwest and weekly on ESPN’s Thursday Night Thunder. After two years of banging wheels with some of the sport’s biggest stars such as Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Rich Vogler, PJ Jones and others, Adam moved back to California to carry on his racing career on the West coast tracks and still competes every Saturday night at Perris Speedway and throughout the Country.
The photo to the left is Adam, in driving suit, standing through the roll over cage in his sprint car.
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PAUL GUZMAN - BI-LINGUAL STAFF INSTRUCTOR
Paul is the newest member of our staff and brings a boatload of experience with him.
As a young boy Paul played all of the stick and ball sports just like all of the other kids but those sports weren’t fast enough - cars were. In his teens Paul started racing karts and was a driver for one of the most famous team owners in karting, Doug Flemming. He won many races and two Championships. Paul, drove KT 100 and 125 Shifter karts. He went to the Paul Spinard Racing School in Canada and the Dane Peteressi Advanced Diving School in Portland, Oregon.
He raced in the Canadian Formula 2000 series (photo at left) against well known drivers Jimmy Vassar, Patrick Carpentia and David Emperingham and then went on to do what most Americans only dream about - the Winfield School at the Paul Ricard Circuit in France, the same school that fellow instructor Scott Scott went to. Here he drove a Formula Renault against the World’s best. Upon his return to the states, Paul raced in Formula 2000 again and also Formula Atlantic and the Barber Saab Pro Series. Throughout his career he always raced karts when time permitted and like most professional drivers, recognizes the value of karting as a way to stay sharp between races.
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FRANK BAIN - STAFF INSTRUCTOR
In our continual search for the best instructors available, we are pleased to have the services of this talented racing driver.
Frank Bain has spent over half his life behind the wheel of a racing vehicle. Competing in race series throughout North America, this young driver grew strong roots in karting earning multiple championships before moving onto full size race cars. While honing his skills behind the wheel, Bain raised the level of his technical ability obtaining an engineering degree from Rutgers University. Frank went on to compete in NASCAR Super Late Models, Trucks and Modifieds, but has spent the bulk of his career in open-wheel, racing Midgets, Formula Ford 2000, Star Mazda Pro Series and most recently the CART Barber Dodge Pro Series. He was the 1998 Northeast Region karting Champion, the 1999 SKUSA Liberty Region karting Champion, and the 2000 SKUSA Liberty Region karting Champion.
He has also worked throughout the United States and Canada as a lead instructor / driver in many automobile performance programs for many of the World's top automotive brands.
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AUSTIN HENRY - STAFF INSTRUCTOR
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| At just 23 years old, Austin is the youngest member of our instructor staff.
He is a multi champion kart racer from Wichita, Kansas. He has won 12 KART National Championships, 17 KART Point Championships and was the Enduro World Champion in 1997. He has also raced over 340 times with 36 top "5" finishes at National Events and has 120 career wins. He has a winning percentage of 35% and a top 5 percentage of close to 70%! He races both Enduro and 125 Shifter Karts at the same event.
Austin's goals are to compete at the highest level of open wheel or stock car racing either in America or in Europe. Formula Atlantic is a future goal where he hopes to follow in the footsteps of his racing heros, Memo Gidley and Alex Barron who have been drivers in the Fed Ex Champ Car World Series (CART) and in the Indy Racing League (IRL) and othersss. Austin is currently racing a Super Late Model in the ASA Late Model Series throughout the Mid-West. He has also driven Skip Barber Race Series cars and a Ford Focus Midget Series car.
He has packed a lot of knowledge into his 22 years and is eager to share his skills with you. He will be particularly helpful to our younger students.
The photo to the left is out of Austin's latest sponsor promo kit.
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TY TIPTON - STAFF INSTRUCTOR
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| Ty's father has been in the car business for nearly 50 years. Ty is one of those guys who loves a challenge. He is also one who regards any and all problem as an opportunity. This is the kind of thinking that creates a champion. Ty has raced karts, drag cars and sports cars to many victories including a season long NASCAR (short track) Championship in 1996. TY has often been criticized as a guy who had the financial means to compete with a winning car but you still have to get behind the wheel and have the talent and discipline to get the job done. He also prepared and worked on his own cars, something he didn't have to do. He is a member of our staff because of his dedication to the sport of motor racing and his years of knowledge in many types of race cars.
Ty currently competes in road races in the United States and Mexico driving his 1994 Honda Civic which features a 150HP 1993 Supercharged, Acura 1800 engine. This is a fully race prepared car that he drove to a win in class and a 6th overall out of 34 cars despite starting dead last at the Los Angeles Grand Prix in 1998. He operates the Motorsports Division of Tipton Honda and also the new Indian, Triumph and Big Dog Motorcycle dealership in El Cajon, California.
Ty has been on the pole position many many times and has won 20 feature races in his stock car racing career.
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JIM RICE - STAFF INSTRUCTOR
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A long time runner, bicyclist and overall fitness enthusiast, Jim dove into the motor racing pool several years ago and continues today in many forms of motor racing. He owns and races three different sports cars at the present time including a 930 Porsche. Jim’s fitness training, much like his fellow instructors, has played a big part of his approach and success so far in racing. He is a graduate of the Don Swanson Racing School and even as a student, DSRS instructors knew that Jim had a special aptitude for driving. He has raced bicycles, sports cars and race karts where in 1998 he was crowned the regional “Rookie of the Year” by the San Diego Karting Association (SDKA).
Jim was the 2002 125 Electric Start Karting Class Champion, with 5 wins and 1 second place finish in the San Diego County competition.
When Jim is not instructing he owns and operates Foot Depot (Previously Sole Performance) in Encinitas. He provides customers with computerized custom orthotics utilizing Cad/Cam Technology. He also performs specialty shoe work for athletes including racing boots and gloves for Mario Andretti, Michael Andretti, Jean Alesi, Eddie Irvine, Christian Fittipaldi, Johhny Herbert, Ricardo Zonta, Tony Kanaan, and other top drivers. He even did running shoe work for Scott Tinley, John Howard, Paula Newby Frazier, Heather Fuhr and Michele Jones who was a Silver Medalist tri-athlete in the Sydny, Austailia Summer Olympics.
Jim is a welcomed addition to our instructor staff because of his dedication to the science of racing and driving and for his understanding of mental preparation for sports in general.
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DOUG CUMMINGS - STAFF INSTRUCTOR
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| A detailed BIO on Doug will be available soon.
Here's some quick facts. Doug has been an SCCA racer, a Grand American Modified Stock Car driver and an instructor in full sized Nextel Cup (NASCAR) cars at California Speedway in Fontana. He has also been very active in drag racing events and actually owned a very rare Turbocharged Buick Grand National car.
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JOHN MANKE - STAFF INSTRUCTOR
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| John is the driver of one of the most competitive and most recognized cars in Late Model Sportsman stock car racing in the ultra competitive Dodge Weekly Racing Series throughout Southern California. Driving the blue and white, Sids Auto Body / Limited Access Chevy Monte Carlo, John has achieved numerous pole positions, victories and endless runner up and Top Five finishes in his career. We chose John as an instructor at our school for many reasons. He takes racing and doing it correctly very seriously, he always has a clean, well represented racing operation, he works very hard to present his sponsors well and is always there for all of his racing fans.
John is a multi talented driver that realizes that today's racing professional must be able to do more than just turn left. Because a lot of our students come from a NASCAR fan base however, they will be particularly thrilled to spend the day with him as well as his stock car racing fellow instructor, Ty Tipton.
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RON BROOKSHIRE - STAFF INSTRUCTOR
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| A full, detailed BIO on Ron will be available soon.
Here's some quick facts. Ron is one of the most respected competitors in off road racing. He has driven in many types of vehicles in off road races including the Baja 500 and the Baja 1000 and his newest full sized buggy has all of the latest sophisticated equipment and components that would make a Formula One team proud. Ron's Brookshire Motorsports Team is the first team in the history of off road racing to use a Honda 4 cylinder powerplant when most people were using VW engines and others.
Although he competes in off road racing primarily, we are proud to have Ron on board because of his love of road racing as well. In fact, he loves road racing so much he attended and is a graduate of not only the Bob Bondurant Racing School but is also a graduate of the Skip Barber Racing School.
Ron is also an incredible metal fabricator and has done most of the work on his off road race cars.
Ron, like most of our staff, can drive just about anything and drive it well within a short time.
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ROD SUSMAN - STAFF INSTRUCTOR
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| Rod brings 30 years of racing experience to our instructing staff. He has held racing licenses in SCCA, PCA, POC, VARA and HSR. Rod has owned and driven in Formula Fords (one of the most famous and popular Formula race cars in the World), Spec Racers, Sports 2000s, GT-2 Porsches, BMWs, Datsun 510 and 1600 series cars and more.
He began racing while in College driving Showroom Stock cars. Some of the highlights from his career include qualifying 5 times for the Valvoline Runoffs, the biggest SCCA race of the year where all SCCA Regional and National Champions from throughout the United States participate. Rod has been an active instructor for many sports car clubs including Alfa Romeo, Porsche, Pantera/Cobra, Ferrari, SCCA and racing schools.
He still competes five to six times a year in VARA and HSR events in his Porsche 2.0 Roadster.
In addition to his extensive driving experience he was also a Touring Professional Tennis player and a Minor League Baseball player (first baseman).
With a background in professional sports, Rod has the key ingredient to being a great driver - dedication to doing it the best you can.
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TOM ZELESKY - STAFF INSTRUCTOR
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Tom’s racing career started in a Soap Box Derby car. In High School he won the Plymouth Trouble Shooting Contest over all other San Diego High Schools awarding him a trip to Detroit where he finished second in a mechanics competition over all other high school shops from the US! Upon his return home he started working at a local Chrysler/Plymouth dealer as an apprentice where he received a Scholarship from Chrysler Corp. He then went to San Diego State City College and became a State Certified Mechanic.
It was at this time his racing career began in ernest. He drag raced throughout Southern California. After drag racing for a while he built and raced Sand Buggies where he co drove in the BAJA 1000 and in the BAJA 500. He then started racing stock cars, his first race being the Permatex 200 at Riverside Raceway. He then raced limited stock cars at Cajon Speedway winning 3 feature events and three trophy dashes in 6 races. He then stepped up to Super Stocks which meant racing on dirt where Tom lead the points race all season but a broken axle on the final night dropped him to second in the Championship.
After a short departure from racing to open an auto dealership he got back to racing in a BMW 2002 B Sedan winning all 6 races and setting a track record. He then went to the first Copper World Classic in Phoenix and won the B Sedan Class. Again taking time to open another business he finally returned to racing again with a Vintage car, a 1972 BMW 2002 that he currently races in HSR. Over his career, Tom has been an instructor, has gone to many racing schools and has raced in numerous types of race cars adding additional experience to our staff.
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TIM COMEAU - STAFF INSTRUCTOR
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Tim has been participating in many forms of racing for nearly 20 years. He started out auto crossing a Porsche 911S with the Porsche Club where he earned a reputation as a quick learner, quick driver and helpful to his fellow competitors. He soon found himself instructing others which landed him an eventual job as a respected instructor with the local Porsche Club.
In 1998 Tim decided he wanted more and more "seat time" to find tune his skills. He started racing indoor, high-speed electric karts during the week that led to a brief career in the competitive world of 100cc karts in the San Diego karting Association. After a few seasons with the 100cc karts he returned to road racing in his Porsche 944. In 2003 he was asked to be the Series Director in a new "spec racing class" featuring 944's and in the first season the series grew to over 15 competitors though Tim's leadership.
Along with his duties with the DSRS, he also works as a (now) Senior Instructor with the PCA Performance Driving School (Porsche) which is held every 6 months at various tracks. Tim can be found also racing South of the border throughout the year. Whether racing, being the crew chief or spectating, he has attended races in Ensenada, Tecate, Mexicali and Tijuana Twice. You will know what the love of racing is all about during your day at our school if Tim is there.
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JEFF GERKEN - STAFF INSTRUCTOR
GREG MARTIN - STAFF INSTRUCTOR
CARLOS PERDOMO - BI-LINGUAL STAFF INSTRUCTOR
Information on Jeff, Greg and Carlos will be available soon.
Would you like to be an instructor at our school? Do you have the racing background and a desire to help others reach their potential? We are always looking for experienced, talented individuals for our staff. Call our school office and talk to Stephanie Sullivan or Scott Scott for more information. 858-558-4696 or 760-500-1997
GUEST INSTRUCTORS
Occasionally, we are treated to visits by guest instructors from various professional racing series.
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