The first two gunshots that tore through Detective David Spicer's body hit his left arm; the first severed a major artery and the other shattered his humerus bone.

Immediately, the young father and husband hemorrhaged nearly half of his blood volume into the street before sustaining two more gunshots into his chest at point-blank range.

One hit the right side and the other hit the officer's metal police badge pinned to his left side.

Blinded by the gunpowder, the only thing left to do was pray.

“

I'm blessed to still be alive and I never go to work without my body armor.

”

-- KYLE RUSSEL

Pray and thank God for Kevlar.

Spicer, a veteran of the Dover, Del. Police Department, was wearing his Kevlar body armor made of the bulletproof fibers produced by DuPont.

In exchange for his testimony surrounding the company's life saving technology, DuPont and Jeff Gordon are hosting Spicer and another survivor shot in the line of duty during this weekend's race at Dover International Speedway. Gordon is also running a special police cruiser inspired paint scheme to promote the education and awareness of the National Law Enforcement Museum breaking ground in Washington, D.C., next month.

It's an opportunity for the officers, as well as DuPont, to share their stories with NASCAR fans and promote the use of body armor. Each weekend, the police presence at NASCAR-sanctioned facilities is heavy. Multiple agencies from around the host state are called to maintain safety during the race events and surprisingly enough, not all of the officers wear body armor.

"Even some officers at my own agency won't wear them, it's not mandatory that they wear them," said Spicer, whose near-fatal shooting occurred March of 2001 in Dover while apprehending a career criminal and drug dealer. He survived because of his partner, who shot the suspect, and because the vest protected his vital organs.

For NASCAR drivers, it would be unheard of to wheel a car without a helmet or protective gear, so why wouldn't all officers wear body armor while working the streets?

"A couple of reasons, but mostly vanity," said Spicer, an officer with the Dover department since 1997. "They're uncomfortable and hot in the summer time. They don't like the way they look in them or they think it makes them looks sloppy so to speak."

For one Alexandria City, Va., officer, wearing body armor was never a question and the decision saved his life.

Kyle Russel, 28, was shot in the chest during a routine traffic stop while responding to an erratic driver on the highway outside of Washington, D.C., on Sept. 23, 2008.

When he approached the passenger's side, Russel found the driver with blood on his face and a crazed looked in his eyes. Just after Russel asked if he was alright, the driver grabbed a .45 caliber pistol hidden under his leg and shot Russel in the chest.

Russel was able to take cover behind a guardrail before the driver sped away. He then reported to police dispatch that he had been shot but said, "I'm OK. I think the vest got it."

Police later learned the gunman was recently dishonorably discharged from the military and shot his wife. After shooting Russel he wrecked his vehicle and turned the gun on himself.

"You know the inherent dangers of being a police officer but you never imagine being in the middle of something like that. I'm blessed to still be alive and I never go to work without my body armor," Russel said.

Still, the officer said too many agencies still do not require or even issue body armor to its officers.

"After my life was saved, my department upgraded all of our body armor and created a mandatory vest policy for everyone," Russel added.

He still has a scar on his chest from where the hollow-point round blew a deep whole into his flesh.

"It healed but I wouldn't be here to tell the story had I not had my vest on," he added. "And I want to encourage more officers to do so."

According to DuPont officials, the lives of 3,100 police officers have been saved since 1987 when DuPont began collecting the numbers from agencies around the country saved by body armor. However, the Kevlar technology was introduced long before that so it is hard to know exactly how many lives have been saved since then.

DuPont's Jeff Fackler of DuPont Protection Technologies said the partnership with law enforcement has three purposes; reduce death and disability, evangelize about the life saving potential the technology carries and share their stories with others.

With NASCAR being a hub for public safety during race weekends, officers Russel and Spicer will have their work cutout for them. Oh and they have specific instructions to pull for the No. 24 as well.

Gordon hopes the car will bring awareness to the importance of law enforcement safety -- one of the goals behind the partnership between Gordon, DuPont and the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.

"I can't think of a better way to make race fans aware of the building of this museum which will salute the bravery of law enforcement officers from all over the country," Gordon said. "It's a great way to educate the public on how important it is to keep our police officers safe in such a dangerous line of duty."

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer.