On January 30, 2012, students at Ted Porter Elementary School participated in a special kick-off event sponsored by the Auto Club Speedway. Speedway President Gillian Zucker and Speedway Mascot “Lefty” launched Lefty’s Reading Challenge to a library full of enthusiastic students and teachers. It's all part of Auto Club Speedway's efforts to encourage students to read - and what better place to jumpstart the challenge at Porter, the winning school of last year’s Reading Challenge!

Students at Porter Elementary won the first annual Lefty’s Reading Challenge by completing the most challenges. 728 students completed their challenges and read over 14,000 books. To celebrate their accomplishments Auto Club Speedway hosted a school-wide pizza party and the $5,000 award they received was used to purchase books and educational software for their school library.

“Every student at Porter Elementary School should be proud of winning Lefty’s Reading Challenge. I know I am! Their passion for reading really paid off with new books, software for their library and a pizza party that everyone at school enjoyed,” said Zucker. “I can’t wait for Lefty’s Reading Challenge to get started on February 1.”

Auto Club Speedway continues its commitment to education by encouraging Southern California students to participate in “Lefty’s Reading Challenge.” 158 elementary schools from San Bernardino, Riverside, San Diego and Los Angeles Counties are registered in the competition and over 100,000 students are expected participate in Lefty’s Reading Challenge between February 1 - 29.

All students who successfully complete Lefty’s Reading Challenge earn free admission for themselves and their parent or guardian to the NASCAR Royal Purple 300 on Saturday, March 24. In addition, each student receives a free membership card to Lefty’s Kids Club program which provides great benefits such as free admissions to NASCAR and INDYCAR races at Auto Club Speedway and much more!

A $5,000 grand prize will be awarded to the libraries of two schools with the highest percentage of students completing the challenge, as well as a school-wide pizza party and two complimentary race tickets to the NASCAR Auto Club 400 for all teachers and support staff of the winning schools.