LATHAM, N.Y., - New York Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Brian Speach is one of five military members vying for the chance to have a NASCAR race named after them.
Speach, a 43-year old combat veteran, is a participant in a contest being sponsored by Crown Royal Canadian Whiskey-the "Your Name Here Military 400"- in which the winner will have a 400-mile race at the Richmond International Raceway on May 1, 2010.
If he wins, the race would be "The Brian Speech 400 Sponsored by Crown Royal."
He's a massive NASCAR fan, so the opportunity to have a race carry his name is tremendous, Speech said.
And whether he wins the naming rights or not, he and his wife Teresa, who is also a NASCAR fan, will win a free trip to the Daytona 500 on Feb. 14.
"It's a great Valentine's Day present," Speech said.
The winner among the five military members nominated for the honor will be determined by the number of votes registered for each service member on the Crown Royal website at www.crownroyal.com. Members of the public can visit the website and vote until Feb. 10. Voting ends on Feb. 12.
The winner will be announced from Daytona on Feb. 12 with all the finalists, NASCAR driver Matt Kenseth and representatives from Crown Royal and Richmond International Raceway in attendance.
Speach, a 24-year veteran of the military, with nine years on active duty with the U.S. Navy before joining the New York Army National Guard, deployed to Mosul, Iraq in 2005 with the New York Army National Guard's 138th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment. He currently works as an aid to the New York Army National Guard's chief of staff and previously served in the New York Army National Guard's Medical Command and Military Personnel Office.
He was nominated for the Crown Royal competition by New York National Guard Command Sgt. Major Robert Van Pelt.
In 2009, Speach was attending a gathering of New York National Guard senior non-commissioned officers in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., when a young boy fell into the hotel pool and was drowning. Speach successfully resuscitated the young boy and saved his life.
Just getting the chance to go to the Daytona 500 and meeting the drivers he's watched and read about will be amazing, Speach said. Whether or not there is a "Staff Sgt. Brian Speech 400" this will be the opportunity of a lifetime, he said.