The sleek, open-wheel race car may not be nuclear-powered, but as for the driver, perhaps a nuclear-powered determination pushes her over the finish line.

Piloting a Newman Wachs Racing car that sports a full-throttle message about nuclear energy’s clean-air benefits, Simona de Silvestro powered through the streets of Long Beach, Calif., last month to win the Atlantic Championship season opener, becoming the second woman to win a race in the Atlantic series.

“I was a little nervous,” she said of two late-race restarts.  “I’ve never started with a full pack behind me that would try to pass me.  But it was pretty smooth.”

The Newman of Newman Wachs is Paul Newman, almost as well-known as a racing enthusiast and entrepreneur as he is a purveyor of charity-driven foodstuffs—and, incidentally, an Academy Award winner for Best Actor.  Newman supports nuclear energy and reiterated that support after a visit last May to the Indian Point Energy Center in Buchanan, N.Y.

“Indian Point is an important source of electri-city for millions of New Yorkers today,” Newman noted after the visit.  “Because it doesn’t produce any emissions that cause global warming, Indian Point will be even more important in the future.”

The positive outcome of the visit has now merged with Newman’s passion for racing, for encouraging young racers and for promoting issues of interest to him—particularly of a philanthropic and environmental nature—on his race cars.  This fits perfectly with the nuclear energy industry’s desire to attract engineering students to the field given revitalized interest in the clean-air benefits of nuclear energy.  The 19-year-old is not only a winning race car driver; she is an effective ambassador for the nuclear industry to students as she tours college-sponsored job fairs, race car in tow.  And no, as she has had to tell some students, the car is not nuclear powered.

After winning in Long Beach, de Silvestro met with students at the University of Nevada–Las Vegas.  Although racing is her first love, she is enthusiastic about nuclear energy, which she says is one of the best generating sources because it emits no pollutants.  De Silvestro added that the Nuclear Energy Institute has been supportive.  “I hope to help promote nuclear energy by doing well on the race track,” she said.
And so far, she is doing very well.

Born in Switzerland, de Silvestro acquired her love of racing at the early age of six.  “My dad loved racing,” she recalled, “and he said as soon as my feet could touch the pedal of a go-kart, he would buy it for me.”
De Silvestro, who speaks English, French, Italian and German, has raced in the United States for two years.  She made history as the first woman to achieve a podium finish—a top-three placing—at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2006 at the U.S. Grand Prix.

Last October, de Silvestro began talking with Newman Wachs Racing.  Founded by Newman and Eddie Wachs, the company has supported and encouraged the development of nuclear energy.  “Nuclear energy is the best realistic energy source,” Wachs said.  The company’s partnership with the Nuclear Energy Institute aims at bringing about environmental change—globally and individually.

In all, de Silvestro will drive in 12 races this year, about two a month during the racing season.

“It’s wonderful to be driving for Newman Wachs,” said de Silvestro.  “I’m grateful that they gave me a chance.”