'American Heroes' line rallies support

NASCAR racing's high regard for America's Armed Forces has been evident for years. Back in 1991, at the height of Operation Desert Storm, then series sponsor R.J. Reynolds provided financial backing for five cars in the Daytona 500, paying each team to display the colors of a different branch of the military. Racing Champions' die-cast replicas of those "We Support Our Troops" program cars remain coveted collectibles among memorabilia enthusiasts.

"Military die-casts are very popular because they play to two audiences," says automotive die-cast expert Don Nicholson. "Of course you have your regular NASCAR collectors. But you also have military personnel, veterans, and a lot of civilians who collect military memorabilia. A great many of them want NASCAR armed forces die-cast as well."

With the special paint scheme movement in full swing, the concept was revisited for the 2000 Memorial Day Weekend Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway as another handful of racers shed their traditional decorum for military-themed graphics. Die-casts of those cars were successfully built and marketed by Action Performance.

Fast forward seven years and the May 27th running of the Coke 600 will once again provide the showcase as the NASCAR Nation salutes the men and women who defend our freedom via the "American Heroes Memorial Day Tribute" program. Ten drivers and teams with run special paint schemes that weekend-eight in Sunday's NASCAR Nextel Cup competition and two in Saturday's Busch Series event. The program will raise funds for four major military support organizations and the soldiers and their families of America's Armed Forces. Sprint Nextel and Motorsports Authentics will support the program with a fundraising effort designed to raise more than $1 million for U.S. troops and their families.

Motorsports Authentics will create and market die-cast replicas of participating cars (with the exception of Casey Mears) in its 1:24 Select series. Other program-related souvenirs, apparel and collectibles will also be available.

And the latest patriotic promotion includes the sport's four-time most popular driver and the man who rules the racing collectibles market: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Budweiser and Earnhardt Jr. are saluting the troops with a brown and beige Desert Camo paint scheme on the familiar No. 8 Chevrolet. Proceeds from the sale of Earnhardt Jr. American Heroes die-casts will provide college educations for surviving dependents of fallen Special Operations soldiers.

Other drivers and pairings in the American Heroes Memorial Day Tribute include:

• No. 01 Mark Martin/U.S. Army
• No. 4 Ward Burton/ Air Force 60th Anniversary
• No. 11 Denny Hamlin/Marines
• No. 21 Jon Wood/Air Force
• No. 24 Jeff Gordon/Department of Defense
• No. 25 Casey Mears/National Guard
• No. 48 Jimmie Johnson/USO
• No. 88 Shane Huffman/Navy (Busch Series)
• No. 16 Greg Biffle/Coast Guard (Busch Series)

Motorsports Authentics die-cast replicas of the American Heroes cars are available at the NASCAR.com Superstore.