Drivers Help Create Glass Objects For Charity Auction

CORNING, N.Y. - The glow emanating from the 2,100-degree furnace reflected in Sarah Fisher's safety glasses as she began shaping her colorful charity project at Hands-On Glass. With direction and assistance from studio owner Rodi Rovner, Fisher systematically transformed the blob of molten glass into a work of art.

The Dreyer & Reinbold Racing driver joined Panther Racing's Vitor Meira and Kosuke Matsuura, Team Penske's Sam Hornish Jr., Target Chip Ganassi Racing's Dan Wheldon and RLR/Andersen Racing Indy Pro Series driver Andrew Prendeville in creating ornaments and paperweights that will be included in a Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation auction. A similar event last year involving IndyCar Series and Indy Pro Series drivers raised $3,500.

"I've never made glass before, so it was cool to put color in it, stir it around and coming here and learning how the process is done," said Fisher, who mixed red, white and blue into the project she rolled and shaped using assorted ladle-like wooden tools. "I love to watch the Discovery Channel's 'How It's Made' and have seen specials on glass before, but I've never seen how it's done in person. So it's neat to come here and see all the tools they work with and how they form a lot of the things we enjoy."

Fisher, the first of the group to get hands-on training a few feet from the furnace, drew a crowd of interested professional race car drivers. That occurs regularly, according to Rovner, who utilizes many of the major tools that would have been used in forming glass centuries ago.

"What's really exciting for me is to share this experience because working with glass is an awesome material," she said. "I think the person learns a lot because when you look at glass you don't really understand what goes into it and this gives them a little feel for what it's like to work the glass and it is a dying craft. Just the whole aspect of working with something where you get the aspect of the hands-on is exciting for people."

Matsuura and Prendeville received a tutorial in the art of glassblowing, and both made ornaments for the auction. Wheldon's sphere contained swirls of red and white.

"Anything we can do to raise money for charity is a good thing," he said. "Hopefully, the Target red and white paperweight will go for big money."

Said Prendeville: "It was cool. In my family, my brother and sister are the artistic ones. I don't think I have a shred of art in me. Unless you consider driving (a race car) an art."