1 of 40
No. 1 car, Spc. Benjamin Moore, U.S. Army
Date of birth: Oct. 2, 1987Hometown: Bordentown, N.J.
Date of death: Jan. 12, 2011, Afghanistan
Note: Ben received many awards and decorations, including the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, the Combat Action Badge, the Good Conduct Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Global War of Terrorism Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and the NATO Medal. He was affectionately known as the 'Mayor of Bordentown.'
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No. 2 car, Staff Sgt. Nicholas A Sprovtsoff, U.S. Marines
Date of birth: April 4, 1983Hometown: Davison, Mich.
Date of death: Sept. 28, 2011, Afghanistan
Note: Like driver Brad Keselowski, Nicholas was born in Michigan. He was posthumously awarded a Purple Heart.
3 of 40
No. 3 car, Petty Officer First Class Navy Seal Joshua Thomas Harris, U.S. Navy
Date of birth: April 19, 1972Hometown: Lexington, N.C.
Date of death: Aug. 30, 2008
Note: An all-county and all-conference football player, Harris was a highly decorated member of the U.S. Navy SEAL Team 6. His parents, Evelyn and Kiki Harris, were touring the Richard Childress Racing shop and bumped into Childress himself, and a friendship was born.
4 of 40
No. 4 car, Capt. Brent Morel, U.S. Marines
Date of birth: July 26, 1978Hometown: McKenzie, Tenn.
Date of death: April 7, 2004, Iraq
Note: Brent was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism when his platoon was ambushed; his quick-thinking would thwart the attack, but claimed his life in the process.
5 of 40
No. 5 car, Staff Sgt. Joshua R. Hager, U.S. Army
Date of birth: June 20, 1977Hometown: Denver
Date of death: Feb. 23, 2007
Note: Hager was awarded the 'Iron Mike' award after completing boot camp. He also was been awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart.
6 of 40
No. 6 car, 2nd Lt. Peter Burks, U.S. Army
Date of birth: April 10, 1981Hometown: Dallas
Date of death: Nov. 14, 2007, Iraq
Note: One of Burks' final actions was checking on the five men with him when their vehicle hit a roadside bomb.
7 of 40
No. 7 car, Lance Cpl. Alejandro J. 'Poncho' Yazzie, U.S. Marines
Date of birth: April 13, 1986Hometown: Rock Point, Ariz.
Date of death: Feb. 16, 2010, Afghanistan
Note: Wanted to join the Marine Corps at age 6 -- achieved his dream in 2008.
8 of 40
No. 10 car, Lance Cpl. Scott Harper, U.S. Marines
Date of birth: Aug. 22, 1990Hometown: Douglas, Ga.
Date of death: Oct. 13, 2011, Afghanistan
Note: A lover of golf, fishing and playing guitar, Harper lost his life as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.
9 of 40
No. 11 car, Cpl. John Harrison Keener Jr., U.S. Army
Date of birth: Dec. 7, 1924Hometown: Franklin, N.C.
Date of death: July 17, 1944, Yugoslavia
Note: A tail-gunner of a B-24 bomber, Keener listened to a radio report of the attack on Pearl Harbor -- on his 17th birthday -- and told his family he was going to enlist.
10 of 40
No. 13 car, Cpl. Nathaniel Thomas Hammond, U.S. Marine Corps
Date of birth: April 29, 1980Hometown: Brighton, Mo.
Date of death: Nov. 8, 2004, Iraq
Note: Hammond immediately changed his U.S. Marines status from reserve to active following 9/11.
11 of 40
No. 14 car, Staff Sgt. Terry D Wagoner, U.S. Army
Hometown: Piedmont, S.C.Date of death: Sept. 14, 2007, Iraq
Note: Terry was in his second Iraq tour when he was killed by an IED while on patrol.
12 of 40
No. 15 car, Spc. Christopher Ryan Barton, U.S. Army
Date of birth: Feb. 11, 1988Hometown: Harrisburg, N.C.
Date of death: May 24, 2010, Afghanistan
Note: He earned the following awards: Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Bronze Service Star, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, NATO Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, Basic Parachutist Badge, Expert Weapons Qualification Badge (Rifle), and the Overseas Service Bar.
13 of 40
No. 17 car, Lance Cpl. Taylor Prazynski, U.S. Marines
Date of birth: Nov. 11, 1984Hometown: Hill Air Force Base, Utah
Date of death: May 9, 2005, Iraq
Note: Prazynski was born on Veterans Day and had an infatuation with the military throughout his childhood. He was baptized after completing boot camp.
14 of 40
No. 18 car, Pvt. 1st Class William Christopher Johnson, U.S. Army
Date of birth: Jan. 1, 1985Hometown: Oxford, N.C.
Date of death: June 12, 2007, Iraq
Note: Signed up to be a volunteer firefighter at age 15.
15 of 40
No. 19 car, Staff Sgt. Christopher W. Swanson, U.S. Army
Date of birth: Feb. 11, 1981Hometown: Rosehaven, Md.
Date of death: July 22, 2006, Iraq
Note: Friends said he was the first to sign up for the dirtiest jobs while on church mission trips. He was on his third tour of Iraq.
16 of 40
No. 20 car, Spc. Jeffrey P. Shaffer, U.S. Army
Date of birth: March 1, 1985Hometown: Waco, Texas
Date of death: Sept. 13, 2006, Iraq
Note: Jeffrey always wanted to serve his country, a call that became even louder after the birth of his daughter.
17 of 40
No. 21 car, Sgt. Gregory Allen Belanger, U.S. Army Reserves
Date of birth: Aug. 22, 1979Hometown: Deerfield, Mass.
Date of death: Aug. 27, 2003, Iraq
Note: Gregory loved cooking and earned a culinary degree before entering the U.S. Army as a cook.
18 of 40
No. 22 car, Master Sgt. Anthony Ray Charles Yost, U.S. Army
Date of birth: October 9, 1966Hometown: Flint, Mich.
Date of death: Nov. 19, 2005
Note: Anthony joined the U.S. Army in 1987. His assignments included tours in South Korea, Fort Lewis, Wash., and Fort Bliss, Texas, prior his training and service as a special forces servicemember.
19 of 40
No. 23 car, Sgt. Christopher Richard Hrbek, U.S. Marines
Date of birth: June 6, 1984Hometown: Westwood, N.J.
Date of death: Jan. 14, 2010, Afghanistan
Note: BK Racing worked with 'Hope for Warriors' in selecting this fallen solider.
20 of 40
No. 24 car, Capt. Todd Tyler Christmas, U.S. Army
Date of birth: March 8, 1978Hometown: Las Vegas
Date of death: Nov. 29, 2004, Texas
Note: Todd's military awards included the Bronze Star Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, and the Army Parachutists Badge.
21 of 40
No. 27 car, Petty Officer 3rd Class. Lloyd Harold Tussey, U.S. Navy
Date of birth: Feb. 25, 1916Hometown: Davidson County, N.C.
Date of death: Dec. 7, 1941
Note: Tussey was aboard the USS Arizona when Pearl Harbor was attacked. He had just six months remaining before an honorable discharge from the U.S Navy was planned.
22 of 40
No. 31 car, Lance Cpl Daniel Freeman Swaim, U.S. Marines
Date of birth: Oct. 20, 1986Hometown: Yadkinville, N.C.
Date of death: Nov. 10, 2005, Iraq
Note: Swaim's godfather Charles Cregger said Swaim could have avoided combat, but chose not to. 'He was one of the best this country had to offer.' His death came on the 230-year anniversary of the creation of the Marine Corps. The gas man on the No. 31 team Cruz Gonzalez was a cousin to Lance Cpl Swaim.
23 of 40
No. 32 car, Cpl. Riley Elam Baker, U.S. Marines
Date of birth: Nov. 14, 1983Hometown: Eureka, Mo.
Date of death: June 22, 2006, Iraq
Note: Riley was Eureka High School's first Missouri state high school wrestling champion.
24 of 40
No. 33 car, Cpl. Aaron D. Gautier, U.S. Army
Date of birth: Jan. 17, 1988Hometown: Hampton, Va.
Date of death: May 17, 2007, Iraq
Note: Gautier was helping search for fellow servicemembers who had gone missing when a roadside bomb detonated.
25 of 40
No. 34 car, Pvt. Michael E. Murdock, U.S. Army
Date of birth: July 7, 1986Hometown: Chocowinity, N.C.
Date of death: Sept. 11, 2008, Afghanistan
Note: Murdock was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 6th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.
26 of 40
No. 37 car, Navy SEAL/Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Jason Lewis, U.S. Navy
Date of birth: June 30, 1977Hometown: Brookfield, Conn.
Date of death: July 6, 2007, Iraq
Note: Described as 'my little MacGyver' by his mother, Jean, Harris received a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. He loved climbing, cycling and being outdoors with his family.
27 of 40
No. 38 car, Petty Officer 1st Class Michael Strange, U.S. Navy
Date of birth: June 6, 1986Hometown: Philadelphia
Date of death: Aug. 6, 2011, Afghanistan
Note: Michaels decorations include two Joint Service Commendation Medals (one with 'V' device for valor), Joint Service Achievement Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, Presidential Unit Citation, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, two Good Conduct Medals, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, two Sea Service Deployment Ribbons, Rifleman Marksmanship Medal and Pistol Marksmanship Medal.
28 of 40
No. 41 car, Sgt. Robert S. Matern, U.S. Marines
Date of birth: Dec. 2, 1941Hometown: Worcester, Mass.
Date of death: June 1, 1967, Vietnam
Note: Awarded Silver Star for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity while serving as Platoon Sergeant.
29 of 40
No. 42 car, Spc. David Taylor, U.S. Army
Date of birth: Dec. 22, 1991Hometown: Dixon, Ky.
Date of death: March 29, 2012
Note: Taylor was helping move ammunition when some of the rounds he and other servicemembers were moving exploded. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, N.C.
30 of 40
No. 43 car, Senior Airman Mark A. Forester, U.S. Air Force
Date of birth: May 15, 1981Hometown: Haleyville, Ala.
Date of death: Sept. 29, 2010
Note: Mark was a member of the 21st Special Tactics Squadron, Pope Field NC, and was killed attempting to save a fallen comrade. Most people who spoke at his funeral ended their speeches with 'Roll Tide' because Forester was a big Alabama Crimson Tide fan.
31 of 40
No. 47 car, Spc. Douglas J Green, U.S. Army
Date of birth: May 30, 1988Hometown: Sterling, Va.
Date of death: August 28, 2011, Afghanistan
Note: At age 23, Green was already on his second tour of Afghanistan when he was killed. His family created the Douglas J Green Memorial Foundation in his memory.
32 of 40
No. 48 car, Spc. Michael J. Rodriguez, U.S. Army
Date of birth: May 30, 1986Hometown: Sanford, N.C.
Date of death: April 23, 2007, Iraq
Note: Michael was a fourth-generation servicemember and a paratrooper. His family had remarked on his disdain for homework while in school.
33 of 40
No. 51 car, Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Sluss-Tiller, U.S. Army
Date of birth: Feb. 14, 1974Hometown: Lawrence County, Ky.
Date of death: Feb. 3, 2010, Pakistan
Note: Dreamed of being in the U.S. Army as a child after seeing G.I. Joe.
34 of 40
No. 55 car, Staff Sgt. Brandon Forrest Eggleston, U.S. Army
Date of birth: Feb. 12, 1983Hometown: Eden, N.C.
Date of death: April 26, 2012, Afghanistan
Note: Eggleston was on his third tour of duty when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device.
35 of 40
No. 72 car, Sgt. 1st Class Paul Drasutis, Army National Guard
Date of birth: May 12, 1965Hometown: Defiance, Ohio
Date of death: April 6, 2014
Note: Drasutis was about to retire from a 30-year military career having served in the Marine Corps, Air Force reserve and the Army National Guard. His pride and joy was his bulldog, Benny.
36 of 40
No. 77 car, Lance Cpl. Matthias N. Hanson, U.S. Marines
Date of birth: Jan 26, 1990Hometown: Buffalo, Ky.
Date of death: Feb. 21, 2010 , Afghanistan
Note: Hanson's father, stepfather and brothers all served in the military, as well.
37 of 40
No. 78 car, 2nd Lt. John C. Yates, U.S. Marines
Date of birth: May 7, 1942Hometown: Fergus Falls, Minn.
Date of death: Oct. 17, 1968, Vietnam
Note: Cousin of Woody Boyd, chief operating officer (COO) at Furniture Row.
38 of 40
No. 83 car, Capt. Brandon A 'Bull' Barrett, U.S. Marines
Date of birth: Jan. 21, 1983Hometown: Albuquerque, N.M.
Date of death: May 5, 2010, Afghanistan
Note: BK Racing worked with 'Hope for Warriors' in selecting this fallen solider. He earned his nickname of 'Bull' due to being an outstanding sportsman.
39 of 40
No. 88 car, Pvt First Class James McClamrock, U.S. Army
Date of birth: Nov. 17, 1987Hometown: Huntersville, N.C.
Date of death: Sept. 7, 2010, Iraq
Note: McClamrock worked as a baggage screener at the Charlotte airport before feeling called to serve in the U.S. Army. Before shipping off to Iraq, he would wake before dawn and run 10 miles, shouldering a 60-pound backpack, to keep his physical edge.
40 of 40
No. 95 car, Spc. Nick Newby, U.S. Army
Date of birth: Aug. 25, 1990Hometown: Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
Date of death: July 7, 2011
Note: In fourth grade, Newby learned to play the violin. Within two years he was playing the acoustic guitar, six string electric, bass guitar, drums, keyboard, saxophone, harmonica, banjo and even the spoons.