Driving awareness for autoimmune diseases
Speeding to find treatments & cures for autoimmune diseases
Speeding to find treatments & cures for autoimmune diseases
AUTOimmunity Racing is accelerating research and studies to help diagnose, prevent and cure autoimmune related diseases. Founded in 2020 by the Relapsing Polychondritis Foundation, we believe that medical advancements made for one autoimmune disease can significantly accelerate advancements for other autoimmune diseases. Whether you are a newly diagnosed patient, spouse or significant other, parent or other family member of a patient, we are racing for you.
Learn about autoimmunity
Learn about autoimmunity
Autoimmunity encompasses a broad category of related diseases in which the person’s immune system attacks his or her own tissue.
The immune system normally guards against germs like viruses and bacteria and when it senses these in the body it sends out fighter cells to attack them. Normally the immune system can tell the difference between viruses and bacteria and your own cells but with an autoimmune disease, it releases antibodies that attack the healthy cells. Some autoimmune diseases target only one organ while others impact the whole body. There are over 100 known autoimmune diseases.
Doctors don’t know what causes these misfires in the immune system and some people are more likely to get an autoimmune disease than others. Approx. 80% of patients with autoimmune diseases are women. Some diseases are more common in certain ethnic groups while others run in families.
AUTOimmunity Racing is working to raise awareness about autoimmune diseases in order to support ongoing research to find treatments and cures.
Additional resources to support you in your journey
The impact of autoimmunity
“I was diagnosed with Relapsing Polychondritis about 3 years ago. It is a very debilitating and horrible disease. I thought I was going to die within 5 years but then I realized that I didn’t want to give up. That wasn’t going to be me. I was able to find good doctors to help me. I just want people who come behind me to have hope that there is still research going on and things are going to be better for them.”
Miriam
Relapsing Polychondritis Patient
Advancements in autoimmune research
Advancements in autoimmune research
Recent Research Successes
Clinical Trials
Meet our drivers
Meet our drivers
Kyle Marcelli hails from Ontario, Canada, and has become a familiar face on podiums across the globe following his rookie debut in the American Le Mans Series in 2010. During this three-year series, he built a reputation of being a consistent frontrunner earning six pole positions, six wins, and eighteen podiums. Since then, Kyle has been part of successful programs both in Prototype and GT in a number of series, including the European Le Mans Series, the Grand Am Rolex SportsCar Series, the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge, the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, and the Pirelli World Challenge.
Kyle became an ambassador of Race for RP in 2016, joining in events on and off the track in support of Race for RP’s mission to drive awareness about relapsing polychondritis (“RP”), accelerate medical research, and ultimately, find a cure for this rare autoimmune disease.
In 2017, the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA) and Marcelli Motorsports teamed up for a sponsorship program for the Detroit Grand Prix. As a result, Kyle raced the #96 AARDA / RP Chevrolet Camaro for Fields Racing Team in the Trans Am race in June 2017.
In 2018, as an ambassador for Race for RP and AARDA, Kyle and his co-driver, Nate Stacy, won back-to-back races at Sebring and Mid-Ohio in the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge. Also at Mid-Ohio in 2018, AARDA, the Allegheny Health Network’s (AHN) Autoimmunity Institute and Race for RP teamed up to sponsor 3GT Racing’s #14 Lexus RC F GT3 which Kyle and his co-driver, Dominik Baumann, drove to victory in the GTD class in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
2019 saw Marcelli behind the wheel of KohR Motorsports’ #60 Ford Mustang GT4 as well as the Racers Edge Motorsports #80 Acura NSX GT3. Kyle and team went on to earn two pole positions, three wins, nine podiums, and the GT World Challenge America Pro-Am series Driver’s Championship title. Kyle was also awarded the Champion Award from AARDA for his advocacy work and contributions to the collaboration of AARDA, AHN, the Relapsing Polychondritis Foundation, and Race for RP.
During 2020’s uncertain and shortened season, Marcelli and Stacy piloted the KohR Motorsports #60 Aston Martin Vantage GT4 to a top five finish at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona and earned P2 podium finishes at both Sebring and Road America. Kyle also pushed the Racers Edge #80 Acura NSX GT3 to a win and a second-place finish for himself and co-driver Martin Barkey at VIR. Marcelli and Stacy finished the season with a breakthrough win at the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge doubleheader, sweeping qualifying and the top honors of both races, ending the season with a total of 6 podium finishes, 4 poles, 2 wins and the overall IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge GS Championship title.
For more information, visit:
Kyle Marcelli
Country: Canada
Kyle Marcelli hails from Ontario, Canada, and has become a familiar face on podiums across the globe following his rookie debut in the American Le Mans Series in 2010. During this three-year series, he built a reputation of being a consistent frontrunner earning six pole positions, six wins, and eighteen podiums.
Jeff Westphal
Country: USA
Jeff Westphal started his racing career with no prior experience when he was hired at a local indoor go-cart track in 2004. Instead of pursuing go-karting, Jeff began racing in the Jim Russell Racing School of Infineon Raceway in 2006, finishing in the top five in 14 of his 17 races in his rookie season and finishing third in the championship.
Jon Morley
Country: USA
Jon Morley fell in love with driving and speed at an early age. He honed his craft on his big-wheel and golf carts before finally getting into a proper racing kart at age 14. His family was living in Japan at the time, so Morley actually started his racing career on the same circuit as former F1 driver Kamui Kobayashi.
Mia Flewitt
Country: Sweden/UK
Mia has been around and worked with cars her entire life, starting her career with Volvo back home in Sweden at 19 years of age. She held a number of positions including as a car builder before training and becoming a Manufacturing Engineer in the early 90’s.
Jon Miller
Country: USA
Jon Miller is a championship winning driver and coach, with over a decade of experience in professional sports car racing. After a brief introduction to motorsports in karting, he began racing in the Skip Barber Formula Dodge series in 2003.
