NASCAR and the military -- it's a bond you don't see anywhere else in the sports world. From pre-race entertainment to sponsorship, from flybys to honored guests at the track -- no one group is as closely partnered with NASCAR than the U.S. military.

But how did the marriage come to be? And why does it work so well?

The relationship is where it is today after some hard work, some controversy and some serious thinking outside the box. But one thing is for sure -- the bond between NASCAR and the military is as tight as it's ever been, and for those inside the sport, those serving our country, and those watching in the grandstands, it's a partnership in which all who are involved are very proud.

What started with a soldier's introduction in 1980 has turned into an hour-long demonstration every Memorial Day weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Humpy puts the wheels in motion

Following the Korean War (1950-53) and the Vietnam War (1955-75), some would argue that patriotism was near an all-time low in America. NASCAR at that time was on the verge of exploding in popularity, but in the late '70s still was a predominantly Southeastern sport.

As hard as it is to believe, NASCAR and the military didn't have a partnership at that time. The two were as distant as possible -- until Humpy Wheeler had an idea.

Wheeler, president and general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway from 1976-2008, had a thought about his track's annual Memorial Day weekend race. It's a thought that makes one scratch their head as to why it took so long, but Wheeler's thought was a simple one: "Bring the military to the race."

Wounded Warriors

The Armed Forces Foundation provides assistance to soldiers wounded in America's military and David Reutimann is among those in the garage hoping to bring awareness to its cause.

• Complete story

For a couple of years, it was a tough sell. The military had no interest in being recognized at a NASCAR event. Why would it be there? What would it cost the taxpayers? The connection just didn't make sense.

But in 1980, Wheeler finally had an idea that would bring the military to NASCAR and create a partnership that would span decades.

On Nov. 4, 1979, 66 Americans were taken hostage in Iran. Thirteen of those hostages were released a couple of weeks later, but 53 remained in Iranian control. On April 24, 1980, the United States attempted to rescue those hostages but the mission failed when one of the helicopters crashed during refueling, killing eight American soldiers.

The number easily could have been nine if not for Airman 1st Class Ronnie Tole.

"The helicopter was burning and an airman, Ronnie Tole, jumped out of the plane he was in, went over to the helicopter and went right through that fire and pulled the captain out," Wheeler said. "[Tole] burned himself severely doing it, particularly his legs."

Wheeler had heard about the failed rescue, and learned that Tole was at Brooke Medical Center in San Antonio.

"I got [Tole] on the phone, two weeks before the [World] 600 and I asked him if he would come up to Charlotte for the race," Wheeler said. "His wife and baby were there [with him] and he hadn't been out of the hospital in six weeks. He said, 'Yeah I would love to come up there.'"

Wheeler took care of all the financial arrangements, but there was one hiccup that shocked Wheeler -- one that had to be addressed immediately.

"The Air Force wouldn't let him go in public and be recognized with his uniform on," Wheeler said. "And I just went berserk when I heard that.

"So I called this congressman I knew, and I told him we are going to introduce this guy in the pre-race and they won't let him wear his Air Force uniform. Well, [the congressman] fixed that real quick."

On May 25, 1980, there were about 130,000 fans in the grandstands. Pre-race festivities were under way. All 43 drivers had been introduced and it was time for the NASCAR world to meet Airman 1st Class Ronnie Tole.

"Over the PA system," Wheeler remembered, "we said, 'We have a very special guest here today. He's been chosen as the honorary starter. He was a hero in Iran, when he pulled a captain to safety and sustained severe injuries doing it.'

"[Tole] said, 'I want to go up on the stage myself.' Well, it's a flatbed truck with stairs on it and he's on crutches with his uniform on. As he starts up the stairs, Cale Yarborough broke rank from the drivers and went down to help him. When Cale touched him to help him up the stairs, the people in the grandstands went totally crazy.

"I thought to myself, 'Well, patriotism is really back in the U.S."

The emotional story found itself told throughout the military and Wheeler decided now was the time to try and expand on his idea. So, the consummate promoter went to Fort Bragg, 126 miles east of Charlotte, and talked with officials about doing some military maneuvers pre-race at the speedway.

"They have to do a certain amount of maneuvers a month," Wheeler said. "Whatever tactical thing they are doing. So I said, 'Why not have a particular maneuver at the speedway instead of Fort Bragg? And in return we will give your Army recruiters access at the track to hand out stuff at the track.'

"So [in 1983] we had the first invasion. And when we had that invasion, nobody knew it was coming. We practiced it three or four weeks beforehand. It was a full-on invasion with Apache helicopters and Chinooks, and Special Forces rappelling down, etc.

"And when those helicopters came in behind the grandstand, the [fans] didn't know what was going on -- they were shocked. These guys are rappelling down the ropes, and they are dropping these 105 Howitzers out of the helicopter and then started firing them at this mythical enemy.

"The people just went nuts. They'd seen something you just can't see anywhere and certainly never seen it at the track. The fans were ecstatic. The guys from Fort Bragg were ecstatic because it made them look good and the recruiters had a field day because they've never been anywhere where there were more potential candidates for recruitment."

The next year, Wheeler took it a step further and brought the Air Force into the equation, forever changing the NASCAR pre-race.

"I knew these guys from Sumter [S.C., Shaw] Air Force Base flew by the speedway during the week when there were no races and they'd do a turnaround. They'd use the speedway as a landmark," Wheeler said. "I asked them, 'When we have the national anthem, can you do a maneuver? You just fly over the speedway at the precise time the national anthem happens.' I thought that was a pretty cool idea because they were going to have to do it anyway.

"So that was the first time the so called flyover happened. It really worked out well because the people loved it."

From there, a tradition was born.

Every Memorial Day weekend race at Charlotte, Wheeler involved the military more and more. One year, a replica Navy battleship was in Turn 2. Another year, a replica aircraft carrier was built on the frontstretch. There were more invasions, more explosions, more patriotism.

In the '90s, in response to Desert Storm and the Gulf War, thousands of soldiers were brought to the track each year as a way to show thanks and give the soldiers just one night to relax and enjoy racing.

"After we did it for three or four years, some of the other tracks wanted to get into the act," Wheeler said. "So it began to be something that became just a part of racing after a while."

Support from drivers like Jeff Burton means so much to the soldiers.

Sense of pride

1st Sgt. Michael Barrett has served two tours of duty in Iraq. After what happened in his first tour, one would think that would have been enough. But not for Barrett. That's just not who he is.

"[In my] first tour, I was wounded by a roadside bomb in 2004," Barrett said. "A roadside bomb hit our truck and shattered my femur, [put] a couple holes in my legs, cut an artery, [suffered] a lot of nerve damage in my lower legs, burns on my right hand and arm, eardrum blown out. I have a titanium femur now with screws.

"It was a long battle of recovery and rehab, lots of issues -- but hey, I'm still alive.

“

I can see that NASCAR truly cares. Open arms, open hearts. You can't put into words how supportive they are of our sisters and brothers that serve our country in uniform. It makes me feel great to know that there are a lot of great people who appreciate us, appreciate what we do and have a high level of support for us. NASCAR does a phenomenal job of that.

”

-- MICHAEL BARRETT

"I made it through that and 553 days later, I reenlisted and deployed again back with my Marines, back to where I was wounded.

"I had some serious injuries, but like any Marine, [there's] a steadfast devotion to serving our country, serving next to our brothers in arms. Just the will alone to stay in the fight gets you through that [recovery] and rehabilitation to back up your Marines and do what it is we're supposed to be doing which is defend our country."

The Marines is all Barrett knows. He joined right out of high school. The Marines are his life, and even though it's been six years since his injuries, he still gets emotional when telling his story.

"It was a long battle. Scary days. I didn't know what the future laid ahead," Barrett said, holding back tears. "I didn't know if I was going to be able to stand and lean forward. It was rough but the support of my family, my wife, my parents, the Marines around me, it made getting through rehab a lot easier, if that's a good word.

"Because of them it kept me strong mentally, physically. It got me back in the fight to be next to my Marines once again. I'm blessed to be able to do what I do today."

Barrett, a Purple Heart recipient, is currently based out of Camp Lejeune in North Carolina and works with the Wounded Warriors at Bethesda Naval Hospital and Walter Reed Army Medical Center. A casual NASCAR fan, Barrett is overjoyed at the support the NASCAR community gives to the U.S. military.

"I can see that NASCAR truly cares," Barrett said. "Open arms, open hearts. You can't put into words how supportive they are of our sisters and brothers that serve our country in uniform. It's just phenomenal."

Lance Cpl. Pierce Acosta agrees.

"It's really good to see NASCAR is supporting the Armed Forces. Some of the other professional sports should try and follow the lead with that because it really does mean a lot to us," he said. "I get a sense of pride anytime I see any kind of big organization that really could overlook us and they take the extra step to support us."

For retired Marine Cpl. Selvyn Wyatt III, an admitted novice to the NASCAR world, he is blown away by the support the sport gives the Armed Forces.

"It makes me feel good because instead of seeing people that don't care, I see a lot of people do care," Wyatt said. "I get more of an appreciation, more of an understanding, more of an acceptance to come back home."

Wyatt, also a Purple Heart recipient, served three tours in Iraq beginning in 2003. In '05, he was wounded during a battle in Fallujah and suffered a traumatic brain injury that essentially ended his military career.

The Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May was Wyatt's first NASCAR race. And while he was impressed with the sport, it was the military presence that left an impression on him.

"It makes me miss it. It makes me miss being in a uniform," Wyatt said. "That's always gonna be in me, it wont go away. I don't want it to go away. It makes me feel really good that people see what type of hardware we got, and all the advances we have and it pretty much lets them know when we go out to battle, we got some of the best equipment out there."

NASCAR fans have a love, respect and appreciation for America's military that doesn't waiver, regardless of the circumstances.

Brings out the tears

The bond between the military and NASCAR goes deeper than pre-race shows and sponsorships. NASCAR fans have an appreciation for the military, maybe more so than any other sports' fan base in America.

NASCAR fans relate to the military on a personal level. Many fans either served, or are related to someone who served. But even if the direct connection isn't there, there is an appreciation that can't be denied.

"You got middle America there," Wheeler said. "The grandstands had always been full of working people. They always were, they still are and they always will. Race fans are down in the grandstands drinking beer. It's middle America, it's red white and blue. This fan base is totally an American, God-fearin', flag-wavin' people. It's like an NRA convention every Sunday."

Alan Kepple, of Illinois, is one of those people. Drafted in the Vietnam era, Kepple thinks the NASCAR/military bond is fantastic.

"I think it's great," Kepple said. "I'm an old military person myself -- in the Air Force for 10 years -- and I think it's wonderful. These guys are real heroes."

Ronald Smith is a lifelong NASCAR fan who goes to Charlotte and Martinsville on a regular basis. A Navy veteran of the '70s, Smith likes the fact NASCAR doesn't shy away from the military -- when it could be easier not to get involved.

"My son, Ronald Smith Jr., is based at Ramstein Air Force Base [in Germany], and I'm very proud of him and I'm proud of all the guys," Smith said. "I'm really happy that NASCAR has embraced the military and is putting them in the forefront.

"I just get all welled up with pride, for our country and for the guys that are defending our freedom."

Holly Ball also gets emotional when it comes to the bond between NASCAR and the military. Ball is the wife of a 22-year Navy veteran, and she thinks more needs to be done to recognize the sacrifice of this country's veterans.

"[My husband and I] have been coming to Charlotte since 2008, both races. I really like the military aspect," Ball said. "We should be doing more for our vets, more for our military members. I think in actuality, the military, they live below the poverty level. If you put their pay scale against other pay scales, they live below the poverty level. A lot of our homeless are military and that's horrible.

"My hats off to all of them; it brings tears to my eyes."

The one thing that seems to resonate with the fans and soldiers more than anything else is the flyover. A brief moment in a long NASCAR weekend, but one that has so much meaning.

"It's awesome, words can't describe it," Ball said. "I love it. It's one of the things I look forward to. It makes you feel proud."

"I've seen them before at football games and baseball games and other military events," Barrett said. "But when you hear those screamin' engines flyin' over, if you don't get chills in your heart, you're not a true American.

"I get chills every single time I see it. It does not get old, that's the sound of freedom flying over our heads."

The sponsorships are there, but the marriage between NASCAR and the military is much deeper than just a paint scheme.

A mutual respect

From Cale Yarborough's selfless gesture in 1980, to today when nearly every Cup driver in the garage has some sort of tie to the Armed Forces, the marriage between NASCAR and the military is as strong as ever.

Sure, the sponsorships are out there: Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the National Guard, Ryan Newman and the Army, past sponsorships with the Coast Guard, Navy, Air Force and Marines.

But the marriage wouldn't work if there wasn't a mutual respect. The soldiers appreciate what the drivers do but more importantly, the drivers in the garage have a ton of admiration four our nation's soldiers.

“

I think that people in this sport really appreciate effort. This garage is always supportive of the military. It's been unbelievable. This garage does a lot of cool things but the way the military is supported is second to none and I'm real proud of everybody for what they do for the military..

”

-- JEFF BURTON

"I think that people in this sport really appreciate effort," Jeff Burton said. "As technical as we try to make this, we know this is a blue-collar sport. We like to believe we are soldiers too, but we know they are the real ones.

"This garage is always supportive of the military. It's been unbelievable. This garage does a lot of cool things but the way the military is supported is second to none and I'm real proud of everybody for what they do for the military."

For Burton, it all comes down to one word: sacrifice.

"Those guys ain't doing it for the money. And they aren't doing it because they get to spend a lot of time at home," Burton said. They're not doing it because it's the easy way. They've taken the hard way and they've made a tremendous sacrifice for everybody else's good and that takes a special person.

"When they join, they know what they are possibly getting into but until they get into it -- that takes a [lot] to go do that. It's pretty cool to be around them because they never act like tough guys, they never act like I'm badder than you, I'm tougher than you. They are always polite, mild-mannered; but you know, you don't want to get on the wrong side of them."

David Reutimann sees a common bond between NASCAR and the military, and that's why the two American institutions are as connected as they are.

"I think NASCAR has just got behind the military wholeheartedly. I think all the race teams have, as well," Reutimann said. "You've got soldiers, they're sports fans, they like football, baseball, racing and things like that. It's a nice bridge to be able to go back and do things.

"They work so hard and do so many things and they know about what it's like to be a team, be a part of a team. And that's why the racing world connects with them. It's all about teamwork, whether it's a race team or the military. NASCAR fans are some diehard, patriotic fans as they should be and I think that's why it works really, really well."

Whatever the connection, those who serve this country, who put their lives on the line for this country, are grateful a sport like NASCAR puts their sacrifice in the forefront. The soldiers don't ask for the gratitude, but they are thankful it's there.

"It makes me feel great to know that there are a lot of great people who appreciate us, appreciate what we do and have a high level of support for us," Barrett said. "NASCAR does a phenomenal job of that."