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Posts Tagged ‘Brian Olatunji’
October 28th, 2010 in News by Leadfoot Media Public Relations
Fort Knox, KY - 50 mph wind, torrential rain and the largest clustered fall storm pattern in the Midwest since 1977 kept Brian Olatunji grounded from his madden voyage with the U.S. Army Golden Knights. When presented with the opportunity to jump from a perfectly good airplane and plunge to the earth at up to 180 mph Brian O quickly jumped at the chance. “This has always been on my bucket list and doing it with the best in the world is going to be incredible,” said Olatunji. “I’m humbled to be a representative for our Army and honored for this opportunity! To say I’m excited is an understatement! Terminal velocity 14,000 feet up is my goal!”
Along with U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Dailey, Brian O made the trek from Michigan to Fort Knox, KY to the Army post where the nation’s vault and gold are located. Unseasonably warm weather greeted them upon arrival Monday afternoon; however Mother Nature did not stay kind as the weather made a complete 180 in the days to follow. Due to the Midwest super-storm the excursion and lifetime experience has been put on ice for NHRA U.S. Army driver Brian O.
“Although I’m a bit disappointed, it was great getting up to speed on the different facets of skydiving and competitive jumping. Interacting with the Knights (who are Army Soldiers) was definitely the highlight. Their world is very fascinating and has some of the same attributes as strapping into one of the fastest hot rods on the planet. I’m looking forward to getting the call to fall from the sky again, however this time I’ll have to have a one-on-one with Mother Nature beforehand. Now if only I could arrange for a tour of the treasury itself…. Hmmmm,” joked Olatunji.
Together with the forceful winds, atmospheric pressures were at Category 3 Hurricane levels. Although up for the challenge both Brian O and the Golden Knights knew they were no match for the strongest non-costal storm in the history of the United States.
For more details, please visit Olatunji’s website at www.BrianORacing.com or follow him on twitter at: @BrianORacing.
Download a PDF of this news article here.
Tags: Brian O, Brian Olatunji, Competitive Jumping, Fort Knox, Golden Knights, Jump, Kentucky, NHRA, Severe Weather, Skydiving, Staff Sergeant Dailey, U.S. Army
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October 6th, 2010 in Race Report by Ian Lewis Moore
The first night in October proved to be a fast one as tons of fans flooded Milan Dragway. Fresh off of a new Martin Technology car setup, Brian Olatunji continued the momentum brought on by several days of testing in preparation for the night’s festivities. “It is always great to end the season on a high note. It really speaks to the hard work the crew has put in all season,” said Olatunji. Last race season Brian O’s fastest pass in his Pepsi Hot Rod was a 10.60, and during the final race of the 2010 season he improved to a 9.82 second elapsed time in a losing effort during All Motor class eliminations.
All of Brian’s runs would have been good enough to compete for the win in the Open Comp category, which Brian O was participating in at the beginning of the night. Unfortunately Brian O and his Pepsi Hot Rod are too fast off the starting line for the Open Comp class. The christmas tree runs at a slower pace in the category, and Brian O being the fastest leaver on the grounds was tripping the red light during Open Comp qualifying before eventually switching back to All Motor. Before the night was done the Leadfoot driver was thinking about next year, “We are already in preparation for next season and look to have an even more sizable impact. The championship is all we’re focused on over the winter.”
Brian O and the team continued Leadfoot’s tradition of going above and beyond for it’s marketing partners. As Brian O explained, “The hot rod ran well and we accomplished our marketing objectives. What more can I say!” As always, Pepsi and U.S. Army prizes were tossed into the packed grandstands and Brian addressed the crowd over the dragway’s PA system. To listen to Brian O’s short discussion for the fans click here!
Tags: Brian O, Brian Olatunji, Detroit, Heads Up, Lucas Oil, Michigan, Milan Dragway, MP3, NHRA, Open Comp, Pepsi, Qualifying, Race, Rodger's Chevrolet, Testing, U.S. Army
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October 6th, 2010 in Blog by Brian Olatunji
It has been said that young people are our future, however I also like to believe they are our “right now.” Each time I get the opportunity to interact and speak with the next generation, I am encouraged and astounded by the things I learn. After all, my goal is to always encourage and offer perspective, while also gaining from their perspective as well. In the past few weeks I have had the opportunity to speak to a range of high school students around the Metro Detroit area about a diverse array of topics. Each school and student population is unique. The overwhelming consistency is that these students wanted to know how they could improve themselves as well as the world around them. I certainly enjoyed the dialogue and hope that in some small part that I made an impression and ultimately impacted their lives.
Editor’s Note: Brian has made 7 personal apperances for schools and charities so far this fall on behalf of the U.S. Army, Pepsi and his many other parnters.
  
Tags: Brian O, Brian Olatunji, Charity, Detroit, Michigan, Pepsi, Speaking Engagements, Students, U.S. Army
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September 15th, 2010 in News by Ian Lewis Moore
For the fifth consecutive year, Brian O’s personal charity, the Leadfoot Foundation, reached out to inner-city Detroit area youth by providing back-to-school necessities. Despite poor weather conditions thousands of people turned out to benefit from the much needed school supplies provided by donations many concerned corporations and individuals in the community. This year’s event proved to be the most successful in the event’s history as more young students than ever before were provided for.
Click here for a photo gallery.
HIGHLIGHTS
► 397 Students Fully Supplied Each with Dozens of Necessities
► 40 High School Students Entered Essay Contest (Prize: Laptop Computer)
► Approximately 5,000 Attendees (Despite Rain)
► 2,500 Hero Cards Given Away During Charity Event
► 10,000 Promotional Fliers Handed Out Before Event
► Live DJ, Food & Drinks, Children’s Activities
► Dodge Displayed Three 2011 Vehicles Off Showroom Floor
► Detroit Fire Department Displayed Fire Truck
► Dozens of Hot Rods, Race Cars & Motorcycles on Display
Tags: Brian O, Brian Olatunji, Charity, Detroit, Driving Excellence Charity Event, Leadfoot Foundation, Michigan, Pepsi, Students, U.S. Army
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September 10th, 2010 in Race Report by Ian Lewis Moore
The Leadfoot Motorsports team was poised and ready for a race win as Brian O took the Pepsi Hot Rod out in front of the near sellout crowd on August 6th. The team had made several test laps in anticipation for the race, which placed it among the fastest cars in the field. Excitement turned to disappointment as the motor suffered a major malfunction on the last qualifying lap. The team later learned that a bearing had failed due to foreign contaminants in the engine.
The team’s new partnership with Martin Technology was well timed as work began on the engine immediately after the event. The repairs and modifications were completed just in time for the next race on September 3rd, but due to the time crunch no testing dates could be worked in before the race kicked off. The car made a strong instillation lap on the first qualifying pass. Brian O lifted off the gas before the finish line to insure that the car was safely prepared. All nuts and bolts were checked on the new look engine. On the second qualifying lap the Hot Rod’s transmission began to leak some fluid and in the interest of safety Brian O decided to park the car. Due to the limitations of the racing environment repairs would have to wait until the Pepsi Hot Rod was back at the Martin Technology shop.
The transmission was quickly repaired at the Martin Technology center and testing began immediately after. Due to the new engine combination the car’s setup has changed completely from the season’s starting point in June. It is being dialed in with each pass. The Pepsi Hot Rod was tested on three different dates and the car is picking up speed as the new combination is being dialed in. Brian O and the entire Leadfoot organization expects to win for the last race of the season in October.
At both events the team did not let a parked car slow them down. Marketing Partner Initiatives were all cranked up to the max. The team made a group effort to entertain the record attendance at the August and the September Milan Dragway Heads Up Series races. T-Shirts and other prizes were tossed in front of the grandstands by Brian O, U.S. Army Soldiers and the Leadfoot Models. During the September race, Brian O hyped the crowd on the PA system. Click here to listen to the MP3!
Tags: Brian O, Brian Olatunji, Detroit, Heads Up, Ian Lewis Moore, Leadfoot Media, Martin Technology, Michigan, Milan Dragway, Models, MP3, NHRA, Pepsi, Prize Toss, Qualifying, Race, Testing, U.S. Army
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August 19th, 2010 in News by Ian Lewis Moore
 Pepsi and U.S. Army race car driver Brian Olatunji was featured in the Forgotten Harvest Autograph Session alongside Boxing Champion Evander Holyfield and NASCAR driver Chase Austin. This charity event during the NASCAR Nationwide Series event at the Michigan International Speedway raised awarness for hungry children in Metro Detroit. Forgotten Harvest is raising funds and collecting food, with partners like United Race Group and Walgreens to rescue and deliver fresh, nutritious food for children to eat during Summer Vacation and at other times when they can’t participate in school breakfast and lunch programs. If you are interested in lending your support visit their website at ForgottenHarvest.org.
Tags: Autograph, Boxing, Brian O, Brian Olatunji, Champion, Charity, Chase Austin, Detroit, Evander Holyfield, Forgotten Harvest, Hunger, Ian Lewis Moore, Michigan, Michigan International Speedway, NASCAR, NASCAR Nationwide Series, Pepsi, U.S. Army
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