An inspiring collaboration between Sally Mott Racing, Team Dakota, and HeartWorks, brought together by Rountree Towers, makes its debut in the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin race at Martinsville Speedway. Together they are united in the fight against hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) and congenital heart defects (CHD).
Rountree Towers, a distinguished provider of tower services in commercial and residential communications and security that leads with heart in all they do, has partnered with Sally Mott Racing to raise awareness and drive advocacy for CHD research and support.
Dakota Whitlatch, who was born with HLHS, was given a prognosis that he would not live past 10. Yet, he defied those odds and lived to 21. As a passionate fan of NASCAR and dirt track racing, he built a supportive community of fans, drivers and advocates along the way. His journey inspired the creation of “Team Dakota,” dedicated to raising awareness of congenital heart defects and the critical need for research to improve outcomes for children and families affected.
Even though Dakota passed away on May 11, 2023, his dream lives on. In his honor, we are proud to announce that Sally Mott will carry the “Team Dakota” name on her MX-5 Cup car at the Martinsville race! Through this collaboration, we are using the platform of racing to bring national attention to HLHS and CHD, creating a call to action for others to get involved in this important cause.
Team Dakota selected HeartWorks to amplify their mission of advocacy, promoting education, and driving support for research that could change the future for those battling CHD. Racing is more than a sport—it is a platform for making a difference. Together, we can create a world where every child born with a congenital heart defect has hope for a brighter tomorrow.
Cheer on Team Dakota and Sally Mott Racing on October 26. Watch the 100-lap race live on IMSA’s YouTube channel. Opening for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, the MX-5 Cup race is slated to start at 6pm ET on Saturday, October 26.
About HeartWorks
HeartWorks is a non-profit that builds, tests, and delivers new therapies to cure Congenital Heart Defects (CHD), allowing families to live full, enriching lives. Initially founded at the Mayo Clinic in 2010, HeartWorks has spent the last 14 years tapping the best researchers and ideas to advance them through clinical trials and onto therapies that give children and adults with CHD a brighter future. Through our work, we have developed and launched several FDA approved clinical trials and aim to bring together and create a positive impact for those who are CHD affected and aware.
Our commitment to the CHD community is fueled by the 1 in 100 born with it and the 2.4 million living with it, and we believe our superpower as the world’s largest team dedicated to curing CHD are the families, physicians, donors and HeartWorks employees who have joined forces to take on CHD together. With the support of our team of teams, we are the only group in the world conducting a clinical trial using autologous (cells from your own body) stem cells to strengthen weak hearts, but we still have work to do.
To learn more about HeartWorks and to join us the largest team of teams making a difference in visit our website at [www.heartworksinc.org]. Together, let's make more hearts stronger.