INDIANAPOLIS (Sept. 5) -- Peter Cordani stood on the starting line of O'Reilly Raceway Park during opening day action at the 55th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil with tears in his eyes. For once, it wasn't a whiff of nitromethane racing fuel that moistened Cordani eyes. Instead, it was the realization that one of his inventions -- FireIce Fire Suppression Gel -- was being showcased on national TV and in front of a standing-room-only crowd at drag racing's most prestigious and longest-running event.
"I've always loved cars and I've been known to do a long burnout or two myself," Cordani said, "but nothing prepared me for standing on the starting line when two racecars blasted off like that. And to see FireIce on the side of that hot rod…man, that was cool."
Earlier this season FireIce became the title sponsor of national champion Jay Payne, a 36-time national event winner with 11 divisional and one national crown to his credit. Since the partnership began, Payne has barnstormed racetracks and firehouses across the country making sizable donations on behalf of FireIce and its parent company GelTech Solutions Inc. (OTCBB: GLTC) to the Fallen Firefighters Foundation and the Federation of Burn Foundations.
"Everything we do at GelTech revolves around the positive impact we can have on the community," Cordani said. "My brother Michael and I lost our other brother Bill when we were younger and it completely changed the way we wanted to do business. Instead of putting profitability and chasing the almighty dollar at the forefront, we decided to try and make a difference in everything we do. That's why we're involved with the Fallen Firefighters Foundation and the Federation of Burn Foundations. These organizations take care of the firefighters that take care of all of us. It's a win-win situation."
The numerous products Cordani has developed all have far-reaching applications that can make a difference in the world. FireIce is a non-toxic, environmentally friendly fire suppression gel that firefighters add to water in pumper trucks, helicopters, fire planes, and handheld extinguishers to help extinguish fires drastically quicker than water alone, rapidly removing firefighters from the most dangerous situations.
Additionally, GelTech's RootGel maximizes water usage in plants and farming, making it possible to grow food in the most desolate areas on the planet. The company's WeatherTech product works to reduce the intensity of hurricanes and cyclones, while IceWear works to cool soldiers battling on the frontlines. The list goes on and on.
To date, Cordani has been featured on numerous TV shows on the local and national level, and has had countless articles written about him and his inventions. He's become somewhat of a media darling in between his team's non-stop trips around the country to help firefighters control wildfires.
"Inventors aren't always guys in white lab coats," said Cordani, who has numerous registered patents. "Some times they're just regular guys like me that might have just come up with something that works.
"We're a young company that's just getting our feet under us in many respects but we feel like what we're doing is going to make a difference in the world. To use drag racing to spread the word about FireIce and help out all these firefighters along the way is exactly how we like to do business. And we couldn't have a better company representative than Jay Payne to be the face of our products out here."
At the start of this event, Payne and numerous members of the FireIce race team and corporate offices, including Cordani himself, saluted the Brownsburg Fire Department for their decades of heroic service to O'Reilly Raceway Park and the surrounding area. Payne's Pro Mod racecar is carrying the Brownsburg Fire Department logo for this weekend's race and his pit and hospitality area are serving as a gathering place for the 90 firefighters in the department and their families.
"We lined up the car with their newest firetrucks and rescue vehicles for the media and it was a proud moment for all of us," Cordani said. "The guys went crazy when we rolled the car out and they saw their badge on there. That was a cool moment.
"The support and encouragement we've received from the NHRA and drag racing fans in general has blown us away. To see fans come by Jay's pit and shake the hands of these brave men and women and say 'Thanks for what you do,' to me that makes it all worthwhile."
"I've always loved cars and I've been known to do a long burnout or two myself," Cordani said, "but nothing prepared me for standing on the starting line when two racecars blasted off like that. And to see FireIce on the side of that hot rod…man, that was cool."
Earlier this season FireIce became the title sponsor of national champion Jay Payne, a 36-time national event winner with 11 divisional and one national crown to his credit. Since the partnership began, Payne has barnstormed racetracks and firehouses across the country making sizable donations on behalf of FireIce and its parent company GelTech Solutions Inc. (OTCBB: GLTC) to the Fallen Firefighters Foundation and the Federation of Burn Foundations.
"Everything we do at GelTech revolves around the positive impact we can have on the community," Cordani said. "My brother Michael and I lost our other brother Bill when we were younger and it completely changed the way we wanted to do business. Instead of putting profitability and chasing the almighty dollar at the forefront, we decided to try and make a difference in everything we do. That's why we're involved with the Fallen Firefighters Foundation and the Federation of Burn Foundations. These organizations take care of the firefighters that take care of all of us. It's a win-win situation."
The numerous products Cordani has developed all have far-reaching applications that can make a difference in the world. FireIce is a non-toxic, environmentally friendly fire suppression gel that firefighters add to water in pumper trucks, helicopters, fire planes, and handheld extinguishers to help extinguish fires drastically quicker than water alone, rapidly removing firefighters from the most dangerous situations.
Additionally, GelTech's RootGel maximizes water usage in plants and farming, making it possible to grow food in the most desolate areas on the planet. The company's WeatherTech product works to reduce the intensity of hurricanes and cyclones, while IceWear works to cool soldiers battling on the frontlines. The list goes on and on.
To date, Cordani has been featured on numerous TV shows on the local and national level, and has had countless articles written about him and his inventions. He's become somewhat of a media darling in between his team's non-stop trips around the country to help firefighters control wildfires.
"Inventors aren't always guys in white lab coats," said Cordani, who has numerous registered patents. "Some times they're just regular guys like me that might have just come up with something that works.
"We're a young company that's just getting our feet under us in many respects but we feel like what we're doing is going to make a difference in the world. To use drag racing to spread the word about FireIce and help out all these firefighters along the way is exactly how we like to do business. And we couldn't have a better company representative than Jay Payne to be the face of our products out here."
At the start of this event, Payne and numerous members of the FireIce race team and corporate offices, including Cordani himself, saluted the Brownsburg Fire Department for their decades of heroic service to O'Reilly Raceway Park and the surrounding area. Payne's Pro Mod racecar is carrying the Brownsburg Fire Department logo for this weekend's race and his pit and hospitality area are serving as a gathering place for the 90 firefighters in the department and their families.
"We lined up the car with their newest firetrucks and rescue vehicles for the media and it was a proud moment for all of us," Cordani said. "The guys went crazy when we rolled the car out and they saw their badge on there. That was a cool moment.
"The support and encouragement we've received from the NHRA and drag racing fans in general has blown us away. To see fans come by Jay's pit and shake the hands of these brave men and women and say 'Thanks for what you do,' to me that makes it all worthwhile."
