Longtime Road Racing Drivers Club member Nick Craw was named FIA Senate President following an FIA General Assembly election at the FIA annual meeting in Paris on Oct. 23, 2009. 
The Senate is the top-ranked body of the FIA, second only to the President, and concerns itself with the overall management and finances of the international governing body.
Craw was one of 23 FIA members in different capacities who were elected by the FIA General Assembly to represent the FIA around the world for four-year terms.
Craw, based in Denver, had been an FIA Senate member while also head of the American Automobile Competition Committee of the U.S. (ACCUS) – an umbrella body representing NASCAR, NHRA, IRL, SCCA, IMSA-ALMS, Grand-Am, USAC and WKA. He had left his position as U.S. SAILING Executive Director in 2004 to concentrate on ACCUS full-time. Previously, he had been President and CEO of SCCA for 17 years.
A Princeton graduate with a Harvard MBA, Craw had been involved with the Project HOPE hospital ship, VISTA and the Peace Corps, and was a sports-car racing driver from 1968-1977, mainly as a factory BMW driver.
He resigned as Peace Corps Director in 1974 in order to race full-time and, as a professional race-car driver, claimed the IMSA Goodrich Radial Challenge Championship twice, in 1973 and 1975.
Craw was invited to join the RRDC because of his outstanding accomplishment of winning the 1973 IMSA championship, and has been a member ever since. He has participated in various RRDC projects over the years, and continues to do so, including providing his professional services as a driving-school instructor at seminars the RRDC has held since it was founded in 1952.
“Being elected President of the Senate of the FIA is, although flattering, more of a recognition of the importance of the American market and its growing weight in the world scheme,” said Craw. “One of my missions as ACCUS President is to represent the United States in the international councils. Having members such as NASCAR, IRL, NHRA, IMSA-ALMS, Grand-Am, USAC and SCCA makes the job that much easier.
“Being elected to membership in the RRDC was, and remains, an enormous honor when you consider the company you’re in. Wins and championships fade into the past while the RRDC is forever.
“The RRDC is a unique and precious fraternity and one which I look forward to supporting.”
The FIA sanctions F1, World Rally Championship, World Touring Car Championship, truck, karting and related international series.
The Road Racing Drivers Club was formed in 1952 as a way to give champion drivers a say in their sport, particularly in the areas of safety, and has evolved to serve the future of road racing by mentoring new drivers on both amateur and professional levels. The Club now has more than 150 active members, including leading industry professionals, race officials and motorsports journalists, in addition to prominent racing names.
President Bobby Rahal is the 1986 Indy 500 winner and is co-owner, with David Letterman, of the 2004 Indianapolis 500 winning team. Six-time SCCA National Champion John Fergus is the Club’s Vice President/Treasurer, and Formula Super Vee champion Tom Davey is the Secretary. In addition to RRDC members lending their expertise to up-and-coming drivers, the Club presents three annual awards: the Phil Hill Award for rendering outstanding service to road racing; the Mark Donohue Award for personal spirit and performance at the SCCA National Championship Runoffs; and the Bob Akin Award for speed with style, passion, sportsmanship and contribution to motorsports.
The RRDC will also present its first RRDC/FIA Young Drivers Symposium, supported by a grant from the FIA Motor Sport Safety Development Fund, at the 22nd annual Performance Racing Trade Show in Orlando, Fla., on December 11, 2009.
The RRDC also supports the Team USA Scholarship, which has been assisting young Americans in the early stages of their careers since 1990.
Membership in the RRDC is by invitation only. For more information, visit www.rrdc.org.
Congratulations to Nick–he does all things very well. Perhaps politics could be next?