Jim Rosenblum has been putting pedal to metal to benefit the families of city firefighters – as a NASCAR racing-team owner.
Rosenblum’s “FDNY Racing Team” has raised more than $100,000 for the UFA Widows’ and Children’s Fund, as well as the Bravest Fund.
His four Chevy pickups compete in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
And fittingly, Rosenblum’s “fund-raising vehicles” are all fire-engine red and plastered with FDNY-related decals.
Two of the trucks sport a giant image of the legendary photo of three firefighters raising the American flag at Ground Zero after Sept. 11, along with the words, “Still Flying, The Bravest.”
During races, the pit crew wears patches, jackets and other FDNY paraphernalia – and the trucks often sport the names of fallen firefighters on their hoods.
The racing team also has its own Web site – http://www.fdnyracing.com – where fans can contribute to the fund.
The team, which races all over the country, from Indianapolis to Bristol, Tenn., includes active and former FDNY members.
Rosenblum, a contractor and 30-year NASCAR veteran, has personally underwritten the overwhelming majority of costs to keep the team in operation.
“It’s just our way of helping out the families of the fallen heroes,” said Rosenblum, 65, who lives in Westchester.
Norman Rosenblum nominated his brother for a Liberty Ambassador Medal because he “has not only benefited the firefighter funds, but represents the best of the American ideals of teamwork and continued optimism that will never be defeated.”