DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 14, 2025) — Today, NASCAR announced that it will officially partner with Honor and Remember through its NASCAR IMPACT platform to bring Gold Star families to tracks across the country. As a part of this new partnership, Honor and Remember — whose mission is to “publicly honor and remember every American fallen service member and recognize the enduring sacrifice of every family” — will host two Gold Star families at Daytona International Speedway for the United Rentals 300 and the 67th running of the DAYTONA 500.
In commemoration of the partnership, NASCAR and Honor and Remember will unfurl the famed Honor and Remember flag as part of pre-race ceremonies ahead of the NASCAR Xfinity Series United Rentals 300 on Saturday, Feb. 15 at the World Center of Racing.
“NASCAR is a uniquely patriotic sport, and as such, we feel an incredible responsibility to make sure that these heroes are not forgotten as time goes by,” said Eric Nyquist, Chief Impact Officer, NASCAR. “Through this partnership, our goal is to keep the memory of these brave men and women alive in the hearts of all of our fans, and to let these families know how much they are appreciated.”
This weekend, Honor and Remember will host the families of Army Spc. Daniel J. Agami — who was killed in action in Iraq in 2007 — and Army Cpl. Jimmy L. Shelton — who lost his life in Iraq in 2005.
“Daniel loved all things fast. Everything Daniel did in life was fast, so he would have absolutely loved this,” said Beth Becker-Agami, Daniel’s mother.
A native of Coconut Creek, Fla., Agami enlisted in the Army in 2005. An avid reader who was lauded for his heroism under fire, he was awarded Purple Heart, the Bronze Star, the Good Conduct Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Iraqi Campaign Medal, the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, and the Army Commendation Medal during his time in uniform. Daniel was killed in action by an improvised explosive device in Adhamiya, Iraq in 2007, leaving behind a legacy of service that his mother hopes will never be forgotten.
“Being at the DAYTONA 500 like this is the last thing we could have imagined,” said Becker-Agami. “It’s all that we ask, is for Daniel to be honored and remembered.”
In conjunction with Honor and Remember, NASCAR has welcomed Gold Star families to tracks across the country for over a decade. Through its IMPACT platform, NASCAR will deepen its support for the Virginia-based nonprofit, which will host more than 20 families at NASCAR events throughout the 2025 season.
“As a Gold Star father myself, I know firsthand the incredible impact that it has on these families when thousands and thousands of people take a moment to pause and recognize their sons and daughters for their sacrifice,” said George Lutz, Founder of Honor and Remember. “NASCAR has been incredibly accommodating to these families throughout the years, so to expand that relationship here at the Great American Race really means the world to these families.”
The Honor and Remember Flag has been adopted by 28 states as an official public symbol of the sacrifice made by service men and women from all branches of the armed forces, including Cpl. Jimmy L. Shelton.
Shelton, a lifelong NASCAR fan and a proud cavalry scout assigned to the 101st Airborne Division from Lehigh Acres, Fla., was just 21 when his unit came under mortar fire in Bayji, Iraq in 2005. His actions in combat earned him a posthumous Bronze Star and Purple Heart. Now, nearly 20-years later, his mother hopes this recognition will keep his memory alive.
“Anybody that walked in the house, the first thing I would do is grab them and say, ‘Whatever you do, I want you to promise me right now that you will not stop talking about Jimmy,’ because I was so afraid he would be forgotten,” said Billi-Jo Shelton, Jimmy’s mother. “So for NASCAR to have us come to Daytona to recognize Jimmy… it means so much to know that he’s still remembered.”
Through the work of NASCAR IMPACT, introduced by the league in 2023, NASCAR has strengthened its support for fallen service members, veterans, and active-duty military through partnerships with several military support organizations.
Last year, NASCAR launched partnerships with American Corporate Partners (ACP), which provides one-on-one career mentorship for transitioning service members, Sound Off — a technology-based non-profit that provides mental health support for veterans and other members of the military community, and VetTheVote — a nonprofit that recruits veterans to serve as national nonpartisan poll workers.