NASCAR Banking rewards pays off for Texas couple

If you're a NASCAR fan, and you are or you wouldn't be reading this, it's probably always been a dream of yours to be part of the action at a NASCAR race.

Sitting with the pit crew during the race, maybe even holding the stop sign for the driver of your choice, perhaps even getting to give the command to start the engines, all are frequent and fervent wishes from NASCAR's massive fan base.

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Randy and Azucena Overman of Round Rock, Texas, took that dream and moved the bar one notch higher at the recent Bank of America 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway: Randy waved the green flag to start the race.

"I can't put into words ... I never even put it on the list because it's just so far out there to be able to do," Randy Overman said prior to the race. "It's [waving the green] not as nerve-wracking, doing this, as it is getting around and talking to everyone and seeing everything.

"This is going to be really big and I don't know if there's any way we can ever top this."

His wife agreed. "I think we can die happy now," she said.

How did this couple from Texas get in this position? They went through the Bank of America RacePoints program, of course.

Exclusive NASCAR RacePoints rewards can be redeemed by NASCAR Banking customers. With NASCAR Banking, fans can use their personal check card or credit card to earn points redeemable for NASCAR officially licensed merchandise, tickets and once-in-a-lifetime experiences -- like waving the green flag at the 2008 Bank of America 500.

NASCAR Banking is the only nationwide suite of NASCAR and driver-branded check cards, checks and credit cards that are complemented by a unique rewards program. Since introducing the program in May 2007, tens of thousands of race fans have taken advantage of the products that feature a mix of 15 Sprint Cup Series drivers and legends including Dale Earnhardt Jr., Bill Elliott, Jeff Gordon, Dale Jarrett, Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne, Mark Martin, Casey Mears, Paul Menard, Juan Montoya, Reed Sorenson, Martin Truex Jr., Kenny Wallace, Rusty Wallace and Dale Earnhardt.

Azucena Overman is the force behind her husband's big moment.

"We saw a NASCAR Visa offer with the Terry Labonte chair on it, and I'm a big Terry Labonte fan," she said. "So we said, 'Let's get the chair.' Then the credit card came and [we] learned about NASCAR RacePoints. I collect things like frequent flyer miles and hotel points, but this was better, because you can get things you can't buy.

"We had been using the card for all of our purchases, even big purchases, and we were just saving up the points. The Deal of the Month came, and we had just barely -- if it came a month earlier, we wouldn't have had it -- we had just barely hit the level and I was the first one to call and that's great."

The NASCAR RacePoints program was founded in 2005 by Stoneacre Partners, Inc., which also operated the Official NASCAR Members Club. Bank of America took over the program in 2007 as part of its NASCAR Banking product.

The Overmans were treated to a once-in-a-lifetime experience at Lowe's, and Randy handled the waving of the green flag with aplomb. It's the first time for such an award at Lowe's, and it's an extension of the couple's passion for NASCAR.

"I've been enjoying motorsports since the age of 5, and always wondered if I'd have the opportunity to wave the green and start a real race," said Randy, who works as a computer network services coordinator for Texas Municipal League. "Azucena and I are so excited about visiting Charlotte and the heart of NASCAR for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The way Bank of America's NASCAR Banking program makes fans' dreams possible is very cool."

Just being able to do something like this was the impetus for Azucena Overman.

"The whole NASCAR thing is what drew me in," she said. "I have earned like a million frequent-flyer miles and I've gotten a lot of hotel points, but this is the coolest thing I've ever seen in terms of rewards."

It's not over for the Overmans. "We're building up rewards to get an all-access pass at TMS [Texas Motor Speedway] next year, and she's talking about doing the crew chief thing," Randy said with a chuckle.

Randy Overman grew up an Air Force brat, which meant he had to fuel his passion for the sport in places like Alaska, Hawaii, New Mexico and Texas.

"We've been season-ticket holders at Texas for two or three years, and we used to go to the dirt track in Albuquerque where the Unsers raced," he said. "I used to go to the short tracks in Hawaii, and I still remember watching the ice races in Alaska. Plus, we still go to the dirt tracks around Austin [Texas]."

Fans can learn more or sign up for NASCAR Banking at more than 6,000 Bank of America banking centers, online or at NASCAR-sanctioned events and racetracks.

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