Chattanooga-based philanthropist Byron DeFoor and his Fifty Plus Racing team of internationally known race car drivers are putting their lives on the line to raise support for Alzheimer’s research.
DeFoor, who founded Grace Healthcare— a company which manages skilled nursing, assisted living and rehabilitation facilities across the U.S.— also promotes alongside AC/DC front man Brian Johnson the Fifty Plus Racing team’s Highway to Help Foundation. The Foundation has so far raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to support the search for a cure. Johnson’s band mate, 61-year-old Malcolm Young, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in Sept. 2014.
Recently, DeFoor was involved in a race car crash while participating in the Roar Before the Rolex 24. Traveling roughly 195 miles per hour, DeFoor’s car lost control when a rear tire blew out, causing the car to spin around, flip over and slide hundreds of feet on its roof before stopping. DeFoor escaped with a few bumps and bruises, and with a renewed commitment to Fifty Plus Racing’s mission to raise money and awareness to support a cure for Alzheimer’s.
“My family and friends frequently remind me that, at my age, there are less dangerous ways to support a cause than racing cars,” said DeFoor, who is in his late-50s. “After the crash at The Roar my daughter Arlyn texted me, ‘Dad, I'm worried about you. Please take care of yourself. We need you. I wish you would get a driver to take your place (for Rolex).’” DeFoor did drive in the Rolex, with 50+ finishing in 9th place in the Prototype Class. “The cause is too important, and there are too many people counting on us! We knew we would compete, and we were hopeful we would finish. To finish in the top ten of our class is a team effort, and significant success!”
