INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indianapolis Motor Speedway announced a new partnership Tuesday with the Indiana Donor Network to promote organ, tissue and eye donation and transplantation through the Driven2SaveLives campaign.
The goal of the campaign is to educate race fans about donation and encourage them to register.
The Indiana Donor Networklaunched Driven2SaveLives in April 2016 with IndyCar driver Stefan Wilson.
At the time, the campaign honored Stefan's late brother, IndyCar driver Justin Wilson,who died in August 2015 from injuries he sustained in a race crash. Justin saved six lives as an organ donor.
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"Then we lost another racing hero in Bryan Clauson, and his family approached us to spread donation awareness and to encourage donation registration more broadly within motorsports," said Kelli Hanner, President and CEO of the Indiana Donor Network.
Clauson, a Noblesville resident who drove in the IndyCar series,died in August 2016 following araceaccident. He went on to save five lives as an organ donor.
MORE |Racing community mourns the loss of one of its finest | A snapshot of a prodigy's career cut too short: Bryan Clauson aimed to be the best | More than 4,000 sign up during organ donation campaign
"Both Justin and Bryan were incredible people who always connected with fans and selflessly gave of themselves as donors, and we hope fans will honor their memory and join drivers from so many series by supporting this vital campaign and registering as a donor," said J.Douglas Boles, IMS President.
IMS and the Indiana Donor Network will promote donation and transplantation awareness starting this weekend with the Grand Prix through next year's Indy 500.
We're thrilled to announce our partnership with @INDonorNetwork in support of the @Driven2Save campaign. Together, we can save lives. pic.twitter.com/MgpfCtwvBe
— Ind. Motor Speedway (@IMS) May 9, 2017
A special Bryan Clauson tribute is also in the works for the 100th lap of this year's race.
The easiest way for race fans to become registered donors is to visit Driven2SaveLives.org.
More than 118,000 people nationwide are waiting for organ transplants; over 1,300 of these people are in Indiana alone.
