Hall of Fame Racing takes time to thank injured vets

CONCORD, N.C. -- Sitting on top of a cooler inside the NASCAR garage, Billy Ray Ricketts lifted up his shirt to show two friends a tattoo under his left arm.

Brightly colored Life Savers candy spilling from their package is permanently inked down the left side of his chest. Above the tattooed candy's package, however, is an unwanted, dark-in-color scar that tells a deeper, more painful story yet symbolizes the need for Ricketts' colored rings.

Billy Ray Ricketts shows off the tattoo of what possibly saved his life.

A machine gunner in the United States Marines, Ricketts, in his mid-20s, was severely injured two years ago when his Humvee was blasted by an Improvised Explosive Device near the Iraq and Syria border.

"It was a Life Saver candy that saved my life," recalled Ricketts, who sustained shrapnel wounds to the left side of his chest as well as the back of his head. "I went down to the gun turret asking the driver for a Life Saver and right when I bent down to get the candy the IED went off. If I had been standing up, I might not be here today."

Since then, the North Carolina native has worked to find his way once again in the civilian world. Part of that is enjoying the sport he loves: NASCAR.

As a sign of gratitude for Ricketts and other injured Marines like him, Hall of Fame Racing's co-owner Tom Davin, a Marine himself, is treating his comrades to first-class treatment on race days.

For Sunday's Coca-Cola 600, Davin assigned Ricketts and two other veterans from Iraq to the No. 96 DLP/HDTV team for the duration of the Cup event. They were saluted in the driver's meeting preceding the race and sat atop the pit box as well.

The experience for these men is an initiative Hall of Fame Racing began in Phoenix and will pick up again in Daytona.

More than that, it is a way for Davin to increase awareness for the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund as well as use his team's No. 96 Toyota as a fast-moving billboard to spread the word.

An infantry officer in the Marines, Davin said recovery from life-altering injuries can take service members several years to recover. As a result, the family members take leave from their jobs, often without pay, to care for their wounded. Few families are prepared for the expenses they may face and need immediate help.

The Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund was created to meet this need.

"As a young Marine, I was never really was concerned about dying," Davin said. "I was really concerned about being severely injured or maimed. If you lose a leg in combat how do you recover?"

Davin said the fund provides assistance for Marines or their families who need extra assistance or medical attention. (Continued)