Jacksonville, FL, August 22, 2008 — The Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance Foundation, Inc. announced today that veteran racer David Hobbs will be the honoree for the 14^th annual Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, scheduled for March 13-15, 2009, at The Golf Club of Amelia Island at Summer Beach. As one of SPEED TV’s most animated and popular commentators, Hobbs can be seen today providing expert analysis – laced with humorous anecdotes – on a variety of series, including Formula One, sports car, and endurance racing.
“It gives me great pleasure to announce that David is our honoree for 2009,” says Bill Warner, Concours founder and co-chairman. “We’ve known each other for a long time and I have watched David put in some of the most spirited drives of any racer in history. His work today for SPEED is fantastic and he always manages to educate as well as entertain with his race commentary. He’s a great supporter of Amelia and I’m looking forward to having him.”
Few drivers can boast as diverse a resume´ as Hobbs. In an international career than spanned nearly 30 years, the versatile U.K. native drove sports, touring, Indy, IMSA, Formula 1, NASCAR, and Group C endurance racers all with equal skill. Hobbs won the 1971 U.S. Formula 5000 championship and 12 years later added the 1983 Trans-Am championship to his trophy case. A regular competitor at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Hobbs drove in the grueling race 20 times making it to the podium three times – all third place finishes. He drove for a wide variety of manufacturers and teams, including BMW, McLaren, BRM, and Honda.
Once he retired from the driver’s seat, Hobbs embarked on a career in broadcasting and his quick wit and to-the-point analysis made him an instant favorite with race fans. Along with another SPEED veteran, Bob Varsha, Hobbs has been bringing the excitement and intrigue of Formula One qualifying and racing to the U.S. market for a number of years. His success behind the wheel and in the broadcast booth easily transferred to the business world when he opened David Hobbs Honda in 1986 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and he continues today to own and operate the successful dealership.
The 2009 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance will be held March 13-15 on the 10^th and 18^th fairways of The Golf Club of Amelia Island at Summer Beach adjacent to The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island. In addition to honoring David Hobbs, the cars of famed California coachbuilder Bohman & Schwartz will be highlighted. The show’s foundation has donated nearly $1.6 million to Community Hospice of Northeast Florida, Inc. since 1996.