Memorial Day Weekend Kicks Off At-track Festivities

Memorial Day Weekend Kicks Off At-track Festivities

For "NASCAR Unites – An American Salute"

NASCAR Industry, Fans Unite To Celebrate America And Support U.S. Military Families

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 21, 2012) — Billed as the world’s largest Memorial Day Weekend celebration, the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway kicks off the first at-track activation of “NASCAR Unites – An American Salute,” a six-week patriotic initiative uniting the NASCAR industry and fans this summer to celebrate America and support U.S. military families. The weekend’s festivities include a patriotic pre-race military salute, special USO race invitations and host Lieutenant Colonel Greg Gadson as Honorary Commander.

To highlight its pride, NASCAR Nation will be covered from head to toe – and from splitter to spoiler – in red, white and blue, starting and ending at two traditionally patriotic summer NASCAR events held at Charlotte Motor Speedway (Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day Weekend) and Daytona International Speedway (Coke Zero 400 on Independence Day Weekend).

Teams in all NASCAR series, along with their partners and sponsors, will showcase support for the program in their own individual ways, from displaying the customized logo on their cars and trucks to developing red, white and blue paint schemes. NASCAR has provided specially-designed, patriotic-themed packages that will incorporate the spoiler as well as other common areas of the car.

In honor of our country’s fallen heroes this Memorial Day weekend, NASCAR and the Honor and Remember organization will host several Gold Star families who have each lost loved ones in their service to the United States. NASCAR and The NASCAR Foundation also will host a group of wounded warriors and their families from Ft. Bragg as part of the NASCAR “Troops to the Track” program in partnership with the Armed Forces Foundation. Each of these military families will be welcomed and treated to a VIP NASCAR experience during their visit to Charlotte Motor Speedway.

“Our Troops to the Track and the Gold Star family programs offer us all an opportunity to express our gratitude to the service men and women who wear the uniform and the military families who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms,” said Marcus Jadotte, NASCAR vice president of public affairs and multicultural development. “Through these programs, NASCAR is uniting to honor these military families and honor them for the sacrifices they have made for our country.”

Both the NASCAR “Troops to the Track” and Gold Star family programs build on a long, consistent and proud history of supporting men and women in uniform and their families at NASCAR races. The “Troops to the Track” program is a year-long initiative and is scheduled to include military families at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Dover International Speedway, Pocono Raceway, Michigan International Speedway, Infineon Raceway, Kentucky Speedway, and Daytona International Speedway.

While at the Coca-Cola 600, NASCAR fans are invited to participate by filling out postcards with messages of encouragement and appreciation to service men and women as well as signing banners and items that will be shipped to troops actively engaged in combat through the USO’s USO2GO program. The NASCAR Foundation will designate a space for fan participation at the Sam Bass Gallery on Saturday, May 26th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday, May 27 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fans may also fill out postcards at-track at the Air Force display and Motorsports Authentic Haulers.

Other partners and sponsors participating include: Miss Sprint Cup, who will unveil a never-seen-before patriotic-themed fire suit, Nationwide will run a special red, white and blue windshield application for all NASCAR Nationwide Series races from Charlotte to Daytona and Toyota will incorporate red, white and blue logos on their pace cars and driver intro trucks. Miss Coors Light will don a patriotic fire suit. Goodyear will launch their Goodyear 'Gives Back Program Benefitting Support Our Troops' program during the Coke Zero 400. As part of the USO2GO program, partners such as Kraft and Gillette are donating products that will be bundled and delivered to forward deployed troops. K’Nex will donate toys to be packaged with postcards to military children.

Red, white and blue products will also be provided to NASCAR officials, who will be outfitted in NASCAR pit caps by Motorsports Authentics, specially-themed gloves by Mechanix Wear and lanyards by Wincraft. Fans also can show their American pride by gearing up with NASCAR Unites – An American Salute apparel, which can be purchased via Motorsports Authentics and Americrown at trackside, Walmart and NASCAR.COM Superstore. Other available products include NASCAR Unites – An American Salute die-cast collectibles, headwear, t-shirts, novelties, plush and toys.

To launch the initiative, the NASCAR Unites – An American Salute paint scheme for Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s No. 88 National Guard Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet was revealed on April 9th in the nation’s capital for the 134th Annual Easter Egg Roll event at the White House.

To learn more about the initiative, visit www.NASCAR.com/Unites. Facebook.com/NASCAR will be honoring service members via an "American Hero Salute." Join the conversation on social media and digital platforms by using the hashtag #NASCARUnites

Notebook: American Ethanol partners with Iowa Speedway

Notebook: American Ethanol partners with Iowa Speedway

May 20, 2012

By K.J. Pilcher, Special for NASCAR Wire Service

NEWTON, Iowa -- Representatives of American Ethanol and Iowa Speedway announced Sunday that American Ethanol will be the title sponsor for both NASCAR Camping World Trucks Series events at the 0.875-mile track this season.

The track will host the first American Ethanol 200 on July 14. The second American Ethanol 200 will be held Sept. 15. It is the first season Iowa Speedway has hosted two NCWTS races.

"We have to have good sponsors," Iowa Speedway Board of Directors Chairman Conrad Clement said before the NASCAR Nationwide Series' Pioneer Hi-Bred 250. "We have to have significant sponsors. They spend significant dollars; it costs a lot of money to run the races and to get NASCAR and IndyCar in here you've got to have people like this. We're just glad to have them step up."

Two years ago, NASCAR announced a switch to 15-percent ethanol blend, strengthening a relationship with American Ethanol. The Iowa Corn Growers Association has had a strong partnership with the Central Iowa track, dating back to its first IndyCar event.

"All these series have ethanol in it," ICGA CEO Craig Floss said. "The great thing about Iowa Speedway is there isn't one race out here that you can come to that doesn't include American Ethanol.

"It's great for our industry. It's great for the racing world. It's great to be green and for the environment."

AUSTIN DILLON ON STEADY CLIMB

From bloodlines to finish lines, Austin Dillon is not the average rookie.

The 22-year-old grandson of famed owner Richard Childress and youngest NASCAR Camping World Trucks Series champion is considered one this season.

Dillon finished fourth Sunday at Iowa Speedway, leaving him third in the Nationwide Series standings, trailing Elliott Sadler by 15 points and leader Ricky Stenhouse Jr. by 43. He continues to lead the rookie of the year standings by a sizable amount over Cole Whitt.

"The biggest thing is we're learning each race," Dillon said. "We're getting better and better, learning how to adjust these cars throughout the race."

Dillon has almost as many Nationwide starts this season as he has had the previous four years (11). He has six top-five finishes, and Sunday's fourth-place run matched his season-best effort in the Bashas' Supermarkets 200 at Phoenix International Raceway in March.

He has become a student of the sport, studying each experience to prepare himself for the next test. The team continues to make progress.

"It goes in our notebook," Dillon said. "You have to make sure that notebook is thick and full so when you come back the next year you can really dominate or the second time you come back to these tracks so you know what you're getting into."

Talladega Superspeedway:

Talladega Superspeedway:

History

·         Construction began on what was then known as the Alabama International Motor Speedway on May 23, 1968.

·         The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was held on Sept. 14, 1969.

·         The name changed to Talladega Superspeedway in 1989.

·         Fourth repaving completed on Sept. 19, 2006.

Notebook

·         There have been 85 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Talladega Superspeedway since the track opened in 1969; two a year every year except the inaugural season, which had just one.

·         Richard Brickhouse won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup race.

·         Bobby Isaac won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup pole in September 1969. Isaac won the first three poles there.

·         35 different drivers have won poles. Bill Elliott leads all drivers with eight poles.

·         41 different drivers have posted victories, led by Dale Earnhardt Sr. (10). Twenty drivers have won more than once.

·         Jeff Gordon leads all other active drivers in victories, with six. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is second among active drivers in victories with five.

·         Richard Childress Racing has won more than any other organization at Talladega with 12 wins.

·         33 of 85 races have been won from a top-two starting positions, including 13 from the pole; 23 have been won from a starting position outside the top 10. The most recent driver to win from the pole was Jeff Gordon in 2007 (spring).

·         The furthest back in the field a race winner started was 36th, by Jeff Gordon in 2000.

·         Mark Martin’s pace in the 1997 spring race set an all-time NASCAR Sprint Cup record for the fastest race ever. He won the caution-free race with an average speed of 188.354 mph and covered the 500-mile distance in two hours, 39 minutes and 18 seconds.

·         The 2010 spring race set the all-time and track records for lead changes (88) and lap leaders (29). Last season’s spring race tied the 2010 record for most lead changes with 88 (amongst 26 lap leaders). The previous highs were 75 lead changes (set on May 6, 1984) and 28 lap leaders (set on Oct. 5, 2008). Both previous records also were set at Talladega.

·         Dale Earnhardt Jr. had four consecutive victories (October 2001 through April 2003), the most ever by a driver there. Buddy Baker (three – May 1975 through May 1976) is the only other driver to win more than two consecutive races there.

·         Since the inception of electronic scoring in 1993, every race that has ended under green has had a margin of victory under half a second.

·         The 2011 spring race tied the 03/16/2003 Darlington race won by Ricky Craven for the all-time record of the closest series finish (0.002 seconds) since the inception of electronic scoring.

·         Youngest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Talladega Superspeedway winner: Bobby Hillin Jr. (07/27/1986 – 22 years, 1 month, 22 days).

·         Oldest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Talladega Superspeedway winner: Harry Gant (05/06/1991 – 51 years, 3 months, 26 days)

Talladega Superspeedway Data

Race #: 10 of 36 (05-06-12)

Track Size: 2.66 miles

Race Length: 500 miles

·     Banking/corners: 33 degrees

·     Banking/Frontstretch: 16.5 degrees

·     Banking/Backstretch: 2 degrees

·     Frontstretch: 4,300 feet

·     Backstretch: 4,000 feet