ARLINGTON, Va., - Better known for its airpower than its
horsepower, the Air National Guard will sponsor the Air Guard 400 at Richmond
International Speedway tomorrow night.
The 400-lap NASCAR race will include its #26 car driven by Jeff Green and owned by Latitude 43 Motorsports.
"With NASCAR having one of the largest fan bases next to the NFL, the
marketing and number of people that an event like this reaches are in the
millions," said Air Force Col. Mary Salcido, the director of recruiting and
retention for the Air National Guard.
"This allows the public to see that the National Guard is a two-pronged
force, and anytime you can get that message out is a good thing."
The race will set the field for the final 12 Chasers for the Sprint Cup
Championship, while also honoring those who lost their lives on Sept. 11,
2001.
"It's been a high priority for us, and I'm extremely pleased to see how it
has evolved," Doug Fritz, the raceway president, told race media. "It's going
to be moving for the fans and touching. We'll always remember September 11th
and where we were."
Every fan who comes to the track will receive an American flag to wave during
the pre-race ceremonies.
The band, Night Ranger, will perform an hour-long pre-race concert and their
rendition of "God Bless America" during the opening ceremonies. The governor
of Virginia and members of the Air National Guard will lead the crowd in the
Pledge of Allegiance.
Soldiers from Virginia's 29th Infantry Division Band will play the National
Anthem before the green flag is flown, signifying the start of the race.
The honorary starter will be Command Chief Master Sgt. Christopher Muncy, the
command chief of the Air National Guard, and Lt. Gen. Harry Wyatt III, the
director of the Air National Guard, will be the grand marshal.
The 192nd Fighter Wing from the Virginia Air National Guard will perform the
flyover with four F-22 Raptors.
Also attending the race to drive their recruiting goals, will be a team of
Army and Air Guard recruiters from Virginia. The team will have their
recruiting displays and will be giving away National Guard memorabilia to
encourage potential enlistees to ask how they can serve their community and
their nation through a career in the Guard, said Sgt. 1st Class John Lewis, a
Virginia Guard recruiter.
In addition to the recruiters, the Virginia National Guard will also have
five Humvees at the track, which will be driven by Soldiers from the
Sandston-based 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment. The Soldiers will
drive the top five racecar drivers around the track in the Humvees.
"It is important to be visible in these events, to give the public a constant
reminder that the Virginia National Guard is participating as a member of the
community," said Lewis. "We are Virginians, and hopefully, through our public
exposure, they may want to be one of us."
Fritz said this will be a critical race for many of the drivers and teams.
"We're thrilled to be part of the 9/11 remembrance," he said. "But we're also
excited about being that last race before the Chase."
Jeff Gordon, who already clinched his spot inside the upcoming Chase for the
NASCAR Sprint Cup, remains second in the standings going into this race.
After 25 races this season, he has scored 10 top-five finishes, 13 top-10s
and led 813 laps.
His #24 car will have a military intelligence theme and honor "these highly
trained Soldiers ... who work behind the scenes and provide the intelligence
needed for missions.
"We hope to end the regular season this weekend on a high note and then carry
that momentum into the first Chase race next weekend at New Hampshire,"
Gordon said. "It's all about teamwork with the National Guard, just like it
is with our DuPont/National Guard team."
Dale Earnhardt Jr., who has won at Richmond several times, said the Richmond
track fits his driving style. "The car changes quite a bit over the night,
and you've got to be able to move around and find different grooves," he
said. "We've struggled there the past couple of times, but we've been doing a
lot of testing to get ready for this weekend."
In 22 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Richmond, Earnhardt has scored three
wins, eight top-five finishes and 10 top-10s. He has an average start of 16.2
and an average finish of 13.2. He has completed 99 percent of all the laps
he's attempted (8,716 of 8,803 total) and led 427 laps.
The race is scheduled for broadcast on ESPN and the ABC-TV network at 7:30
p.m., on Sept. 11.
(Editor's Note: Army Staff Sgt. Andrew H. Owen of the Virginia National Guard
contributed to this report.)