Posted on by Terrin Waack

Editor’s note: This story was originally published on May 27 and updated on May 31 after the conclusion of the 2021 Coca-Cola 600.

Kyle Larson now has the chance to be the first driver since 1998 to win both the Coca-Cola 600 and NASCAR Cup Series title in the same year. The pilot of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet took the checkered flag Sunday at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

RELATED: Larson wins at Charlotte, gives Hendrick win No. 269

Jeff Gordon, also a Hendrick Motorsports driver, was the last to double down with the two accomplishments.

A look at how the two situations compare:

  • Gordon started from the pole position, so did Larson after posting the fastest qualifying lap.
  • Gordon had a career-best 13 wins that season. Larson has two wins through 15 races. His career high was four in 2017. At this rate, though, he very well could top that.
  • Gordon’s 1998 championship was his third. Larson doesn’t have a title to his name.
  • Gordon’s Coca-Cola 600 win was his third that season. Sunday marked Larson’s second.
  • Gordon’s 1998 Coca-Cola 600 victory was his third win of Charlotte’s crown-jewel event. Larson’s 2021 win was his first crown-jewel victory.

Larson is already locked into the 2021 NASCAR Playoffs. BetMGM has him at 17-2 odds to win it all come season’s end on Nov. 7.

— — —

Original story below.

In the past quarter century, there has only been one driver to win both the Coca-Cola 600 and the NASCAR Cup Series title in the same year.

His name is Jeff Gordon – should sound familiar – and he actually accomplished the feat twice in back-to-back seasons from 1997-98. The No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet performed crown-jewel burnouts at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May and enjoyed championship-worthy champagne at Atlanta Motor Speedway in November.

RELATED: Memorial Day weekend at-track scheduleScreen Shot 2021 05 26 At 9.37.18 Pm

There have been 14 different Coca-Cola 600 winners and 13 different champions since Gordon’s back-to-back wins. Of those, only six Coca-Cola 600 winners and seven champions are still active. Then, out of those groups, there’s only one former Coca-Cola 600 winner who is not a champion and only two champions who are not a former Coca-Cola 600 winner.

  • Active Coca-Cola 600 winners: Kurt Busch (2010), Kyle Busch (2018), Austin Dillon (2017), Kevin Harvick (2011, 2013), Brad Keselowski (2020) and Martin Truex Jr. (2016, 2019).
  • Active NASCAR Cup Series champions: Kurt Busch (2004), Kyle Busch (2015, 2019), Chase Elliott (2020), Kevin Harvick (2014), Brad Keselowski (2012), Joey Logano (2018) and Martin Truex Jr. (2017).

The 2021 Coca-Cola 600 is Sunday at Charlotte (6 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). This season’s title race is scheduled for Nov. 7 at Phoenix Raceway.

RELATED: Betting odds for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600

The stage is set, and maybe the past can predict the future.

  • Gordon won the 1998 Coca-Cola 600 from the pole position. Most of the lineups this season have been set by a performance-metrics formula in order to limit at-track time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There will be qualifying Saturday (11:05 a.m. ET on FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), though.
  • Gordon had his best season in 1998, knocking out a career-best 13 trips to Victory Lane. None of the current drivers have ever broken double digits in the win column. Harvick came closest last year with nine victories but ultimately finished fifth in the final standings after failing to make the Championship 4. The No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford driver has won three times in 38 starts on Charlotte’s oval. BetMGM has him at 12-1 odds to win Sunday.
  • Gordon’s 1998 championship marked his third, with the previous coming in 1995 and 1997. There’s only one driver with two titles already under his belt and could match three this season, and that’s Kyle Busch. The No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing drivers was crowned champion in 2015 and 2019. Busch has won at Charlotte once in 32 oval starts. He’s sitting at 13-2 odds for Sunday, according to BetMGM.
  • Gordon’s Coca-Cola 600 win went down as his third seasonal win in 1998. Through 14 races this season, there are only two drivers who have won more than one event.
    1. Alex Bowman owns two wins, just like Gordon did entering the crown jewel. The No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports driver has never won at Charlotte in nine starts on the oval; he has a best finish of seventh in 2019. BetMGM puts him at 16-1 odds for Sunday.
    2. Martin Truex Jr. is a little further ahead with three wins. The No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota driver has won three times in 29 starts on Charlotte’s oval. He is Sunday’s favorite at 11-2 odds.
  • Gordon’s 1998 Coca-Cola 600 victory was his third win of Charlotte’s crown-jewel event. There are two drivers with two previous Coca-Cola 600 victories – Harvick and Truex, so they fall under two possible trend categories.

The list of nuanced comparisons and possibilities could go on.

Trying to predict the winner of two huge events based off something that last happened 23 years ago is a rather bold move. But it’s worth remembering these details for Sunday and then maybe even come November. Depends on who wins.

Posted on by Ken Martin

The history of big event auto racing in Charlotte goes back nearly a century.

The Charlotte Motor Speedway opened in 1960, but it was not the first superspeedway built in the Charlotte area. 

Decades before NASCAR became a reality; a 1.25-mile board track was constructed just outside Charlotte in Pineville. The track boasted long sweeping 40-degree banked corners and incredible speeds. The facility was built using 3,000,000 board feet of lumber. 

The inaugural event was scheduled for October 25, 1924, and entries featured many Indy 500 champions. Tommy Milton won the 250-mile event at a speed of 118.17 mph, 20 miles per hour faster than that year’s Indy 500.

RELATED: See every winner of the Coca-Cola 600 | Active crown jewel winners in the Cup Series

Financial problems plagued the track, including the expensive upkeep of the racing surface. The final events were held in 1927, with the shadow of the Great Depression in the future; the board track era was over in Charlotte.

Following World War II, the nation was ripe for new sporting events, and the southeast was especially ripe for motorsports.

When NASCAR held its first events in 1948, the Charlotte area was already a hotbed for racing. The area’s red dirt tracks and numerous county fairgrounds were prime spots, and the moonshine legacy of the nearby mountains made for a winning combination.

On June 19, 1949, NASCAR held its first “Strictly Stock” race at the Charlotte Speedway located on Little Rock Road near the Charlotte airport. The Strictly Stock Series became Grand Nationals in 1950 and evolved into the Cup series of today.

In the 1949 season for the stock car series, three of the eight races were run in North Carolina – Charlotte, Hillsboro, and North Wilkesboro.

Auto racing was booming in the Charlotte area. Seven different tracks in the Charlotte area hosted Cup events before Charlotte Motor Speedway opened, and 21 other tracks in North Carolina hosted Cup events before CMS.

The construction of purpose-built superspeedway tracks in the south took a decade to gain momentum.

In 1950, Darlington Raceway became the first paved superspeedway to host a 500-mile NASCAR Cup event. Harold Brasington’s creation captured the imagination of the stock car racing community. Still, it would take nine years before the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway would usher in a new era for NASCAR. 1959 also found the construction of new speedways at Charlotte and Atlanta underway. Both tracks faced severe financial, construction, and weather hurdles.

Charlotte Motor Speedway was scheduled to host its inaugural event on Memorial Day weekend in 1960. When the completion of the track made that race date impossible, it was rescheduled three weeks later to June 19.

Why 600 miles? Memorial Day auto racing had belonged to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for nearly 50 years before CMS was built. How would a stock car race ever gain traction against the Indy 500? Track owners Bruton Smith and Curtis Turner wanted to create a bigger, longer race. It was an ambitious undertaking, but Smith and Turner were never shy about taking on a challenge.

Far from an artistic success, the rough, uncured track surface caused numerous problems for that first race. Six of the sport’s most prominent stars – Richard Petty, Lee Petty and Junior Johnson among them — were disqualified for cutting through the quad-oval grass for pit stops to replace blown tires. 

Jack Smith held a seven-lap lead on the field with less than 50 laps to go before a chunk of the tracks surface ruptured his gas tank. Joe Lee Johnson of Chattanooga, Tennessee, earned his second and final career win with a four-lap margin of victory over Johnny Beauchamp. Only 18 of the 60 starters were classified as running at the finish of the five and a 1/2-hour event. David Pearson finished 10th, with 33 laps behind.

Six races later in the 1960 season, Atlanta Motor Speedway held its first event, a 300-miler won by Fireball Roberts.

A new superspeedway was built at Rockingham in 1965, then a late boom at the end of the decade saw Talladega, Michigan, Dover, and Texas World Speedway host NASCAR Cup events before 1970.

How did the Charlotte Coca Cola (World) 600 gain its status as a crown jewel event with this speedway boom?

Some of the early designations given by the media of the crown jewel events named Darlington as the oldest, Daytona as the biggest, and Charlotte as the longest. It wasn’t until 1969, when LeeRoy Yarbrough captured all three events in the same season, some recognition was given to that accomplishment.

In 1985, then-series entitlement sponsor Winston initiated a new million-dollar prize program to recognize the crown jewel events and added a fourth event to the crown, the Winston 500 at Talladega. The crown was made of the oldest, the biggest, the longest, and now the fastest. Simple task – win three of the four events, and a million-dollar prize would be yours. Never dreaming that could be accomplished, Bill Elliott earned the honors in that 1985 season to forever be known as “Million Dollar Bill.”

REVERSE: How Jeff Gordon blocked his way to $1 million

The four Crown Jewel events were established and remained so until 1994 when Indianapolis and the Brickyard 400 were added to the schedule. Over the next few years, Winston changed its awards program to the “No Bull 5,” and the rotation of events were moved to different occasions. 

The status of the Coca Cola 600 as a crown jewel event only grew from its auspicious debut. As the NASCAR racing community migrated to the Charlotte area, teams and businesses looked at the area as its hub. If you are a singer/songwriter, you want to go to Nashville; if you’re going to work in the NASCAR industry, you move to Charlotte.

The Coca-Cola 600 has been a showcase for superstars and upset winners. NASCAR Hall of Famers David Pearson (1961), Jeff Gordon (1994), and Bobby Labonte (1995) all earned their first career win in the 600, as did Matt Kenseth (2000), Casey Mears (2007), David Reutimann (2009), Austin Dillon (2017).

PHOTOS: First-time winners of the Coca-Cola 600

Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip has more 600 wins than anyone with five. Jimmie Johnson has four, while Bobby Allison, Buddy Baker, Dale Earnhardt Sr., Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne and Pearson have three wins each in NASCAR’s longest race.

With their shops just minutes away from the speedway, Hendrick Motorsports is that all-time win leader for teams with 11 victories.

The 600 has clearly defined itself as a crown jewel event. It has epitomized the toughness of driver and machine to endure in the most trying circumstances that sport has to offer in a showcase arena.

Posted on by Press Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold announced today it will air select U.S. Legend Car Series races live, beginning with the Thursday Thunder season opener June 3 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

In addition to Thursday Thunder races, TrackPass will carry U.S. Legend Car Series contests from the Summer Shootout at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Lanier Racing Series at Lanier Raceplex (Georgia), Dirt Nationals at Brushcreek Motorplex (Ohio), Asphalt Nationals at Dominion Raceway (Virginia) and Road Course Finals at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL.

RELATED: US Legends Website

“This partnership with NBC Sports Gold provides a tremendous opportunity not only to serve fans of U.S. Legend Car racing across the country, but to reach new fans and continue to grow the sport,” said Graham Smith, managing director of U.S. Legend Cars International. “In addition to broadcasting more than two dozen premier Legend Car events throughout the summer and fall, we are working with NBC Sports Gold to bring additional original programing to life that will further engage grassroots racing fans.”

A subsidiary of Speedway Motorsports, LLC., U.S. Legend Cars International was founded in 1992 to create a fun and affordable “spec” class of racing for anyone to participate. Legend Cars are 5/8-scale fiberglass full-fendered versions of famed NASCAR modifieds driven by the likes of Fireball Roberts, Buck Baker and Curtis Turner.

The U.S. Legend Car Series has served as a proving ground for up-and-coming NASCAR stars, including Chase Elliott, Joey Logano, William Byron and Bubba Wallace.

“Grassroots racing is the heart of NASCAR and it’s important to us as a company to grow the sport at all levels,” said Dan Barker, NASCAR senior director, media strategy. “We’re excited to distribute U.S. Legend Cars to a mass audience and spotlight the future stars of racing.”

U.S. Legend Car Series TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold Schedule

Date Track Event
Thursday, June 3 Atlanta Motor Speedway Thursday Thunder Round 1
Wednesday, June 9 Atlanta Motor Speedway Thursday Thunder Round 2
Monday, June 14 Charlotte Motor Speedway Summer Shootout Practice/Round 1
Tuesday, June 15 Charlotte Motor Speedway Summer Shootout Round 2
Wednesday, June 16 Atlanta Motor Speedway Thursday Thunder Round 3
Tuesday, June 22 Charlotte Motor Speedway Summer Shootout Round 3
Thursday, June 24 Atlanta Motor Speedway Thursday Thunder Round 4
Tuesday, June 29 Charlotte Motor Speedway Summer Shootout Round 4
Thursday, July 1 Atlanta Motor Speedway Thursday Thunder Round 5
Tuesday, July 6 Charlotte Motor Speedway Summer Shootout Round 5
Thursday, July 8 Atlanta Motor Speedway Thursday Thunder Round 6
Tuesday, July 13 Charlotte Motor Speedway Summer Shootout Round 6
Thursday, July 15 Lanier Raceplex Lanier Racing Round 1
Tuesday, July 20 Charlotte Motor Speedway Summer Shootout Round 7
Wednesday, July 21 Lanier Raceplex Lanier Racing Round 2
Monday, July 26 Charlotte Motor Speedway Summer Shootout Practice/Round 8
Tuesday, July 27 Charlotte Motor Speedway Summer Shootout Round 9
Wednesday, July 28 Lanier Raceplex Lanier Racing Round 3
Thursday, July 29 Lanier Raceplex Lanier Racing Round 4
Tuesday, August 3 Charlotte Motor Speedway Summer Shootout Round 10
Thursday, September 16 Brushcreek Motorplex Dirt Nationals Practice/Qualifying
Friday, September 17 Brushcreek Motorplex Dirt Nationals Qualifying
Saturday, September 18 Brushcreek Motorplex Dirt Nationals Championship
Saturday, October 9 Dominion Raceway Asphalt Nationals Championship
Saturday, October 30 ROVAL Road Course World Finals Practice/Qualifying
Saturday, October 31 ROVAL Road Course World Finals Championship Day

* Dates subject to change

Posted on by Staff Report

The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race at Texas Motor Speedway is less than a month away and the race for the Fan Vote is heating up.

Currently, the top-five vote-getters for the June 13 event are, in alphabetical order: Chase Briscoe, driver of the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford; Matt DiBenedetto, driver of the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford; Erik Jones, driver of the No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet; Daniel Suarez, driver of the No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet; and No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota driver Bubba Wallace.

But it’s not too late to cast your vote for your favorite driver. Voting will end at noon ET on Friday, June 11.

MORE: Vote now

Fans can participate by visiting here and voting for their favorite driver. You can only vote for one eligible NASCAR driver per submission, and you may only submit one ballot per day per each unique email address. Sharing your vote on Twitter and Facebook adds a bonus entry for each, for a total of four submissions for your favorite driver per day.

The drivers eligible for the Fan Vote include: Aric Almirola, Anthony Alfredo, Chris Buescher, Josh Bilicki, Briscoe, Ross Chastain, Austin Cindric, DiBenedetto, Joey Gase, Timmy Hill, Quin Houff, Jones, Corey LaJoie, BJ McLeod, Ryan Preece, Tyler Reddick, Garrett Smithley, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Suarez, Wallace and Cody Ware.

Should a driver win a stage in the NASCAR Open qualifying race before the All-Star Race then that driver will be locked into the field and not eligible to be the Fan Vote winner. A driver must finish the NASCAR Open with his respective vehicle in a raceable condition at the time called as determined by the NASCAR Cup Series Managing Director in order to win the Fan Vote.

RELATED: History of All-Star Fan Vote winners

Seventeen drivers are already locked into the All-Star Race. The criteria for eligibility includes NASCAR Cup Series race winners in 2020-21 and full-time drivers who are either past All-Star winners or past Cup Series champions. Those drivers are: Alex Bowman, Austin Dillon, Brad Keselowski, Chase Elliott, Cole Custer, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Blaney, William Byron, Michael McDowell, Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson and Ryan Newman.

Posted on by Staff Report

The Allgaiers have welcomed a second baby girl into their family as both Justin and Ashley Allgaier revealed the birth of Willow Leigh Allgaier on social media Wednesday afternoon.

https://twitter.com/AshleyAllgaier/status/1397601693211238415

Justin Allgaier, who drives JR Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet in the Xfinity Series, is already a two-time winner through 11 races this season. Daughter Harper, who is known to design a helmet or two for the driver known as ‘Lil’ Gator, is now a big sister for the Allgaier bunch.

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR issued an indefinite suspension Wednesday to Eddie D’Hondt, spotter for the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports team, after details surfaced regarding his recent arrest in Catawba County, North Carolina.

D’Hondt was arrested May 12, according to Hickory (N.C.) Police Department records. Records in Catawba District Court show two court dates listed for D’Hondt related to two misdemeanor cases — a June 7 date for N.C. Statute 14-23.6(A), battery of an unborn child and June 30 under Statute 14-33(C)(2), assault on a female.

NASCAR officials said that D’Hondt violated Sections 12.8.1.e (Member Conduct Guidelines) and 2.11 (Required Notice) in the NASCAR Rule Book.

Section 12.8.1.e states, in part, that member actions that could result in a fine and/or indefinite suspension, or termination, include: “Being charged with or convicted of significant criminal violations (e.g. Domestic Violence, Trafficking, Assault), or having had determinations rendered by criminal or civil authorities that in NASCAR’s judgement necessitate action. NASCAR will not pre-judge guilt or innocence in the criminal or civil legal system, or the guilt or innocence of the Member, but rather review each matter in its own context and circumstances and with regards to its potential effects upon the sport.”

Section 2.11 states: “Any NASCAR Member charged with any violation of the law (misdemeanor and/or felony) shall notify NASCAR … prior to the next scheduled Event or within 72 hours of being so charged, whichever is earlier.”

Hendrick Motorsports also suspended D’Hondt and issued the following statement Wednesday morning: “We became aware of the situation this morning and have immediately and indefinitely suspended Mr. D’Hondt’s role with our company. We are taking this matter very seriously and will continue to seek additional information about the alleged incident.”

Hendrick Motorsports did not immediately announce a replacement spotter for the No. 9 team in this weekend’s events at Charlotte Motor Speedway, but team roster pages updated Thursday morning listed Trey Poole in the role. Poole, Elliott’s cousin, also served as an additional spotter for the No. 9 team at last weekend’s event at Circuit of The Americas.

D’Hondt has been a spotter for Chase Elliott since his rookie Cup Series season in 2016. He also is listed as a spotter in the Xfinity Series for the JR Motorsports No. 7 team and driver Justin Allgaier, and in the Camping World Truck Series for the Hattori Racing Enterprises No. 16 team and driver Austin Hill.

D’Hondt was previously a Cup Series spotter for Jeff Gordon and Kyle Busch.

Posted on by Pat DeCola

Ah, the Coca-Cola 600. Drink it in, NASCAR’s backyard crown jewel always goes down smooth.

One of the sport’s most storied races, 600 miles of pure synergy between car, driver and perspiration over the course of a blistering North Carolina evening sunset tends to see the cream rise to the top. A look back at the history of winners of stock-car racing’s longest event shows a litany of superstars and champions, with a few surprises sprinkled in (such as Casey Mears in 2007; Austin Dillon’s first win in 2017).

RELATED: Drivers to score first win in Coca-Cola 600 | See every Coca-Cola 600 winner

With the 2021 running of NASCAR’s marathon race right around the corner, NASCAR.com’s Pat DeCola and Chase Wilhelm make their picks for the driver most likely to win this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 — who hasn’t yet.

Read on and be sure to tune in to see 400 laps around Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday at 6 p.m. ET (FOX, PRN, Sirius XM NASCAR Radio).

DeCOLA: Let’s see … cream rising to the top, superstar, champion, hasn’t won the Coca-Cola 600 before. By default, the answer here on paper has to be Chase Elliott, no?

NASCAR races don’t play out on paper, however, but Elliott still makes a fine choice to pick up his first crown jewel of any kind this weekend. Not only is the No. 9 Chevrolet driver the defending series champion, he’s also the most recent Cup Series race winner after claiming the inaugural Circuit of The Americas trophy this past weekend. The victory was his first of the season and it came amidst a four-race streak with an average finish of 4.0. He also happens to have the good fortune of driving for the season’s best team in Hendrick Motorsports, which has won five of the season’s 14 races so far.

OK, that all sounds great, but how is he at Charlotte? Glad you asked.

Elliott is the most recent winner on the oval configuration at the Concord, North Carolina track, winning on a steamy Thursday night in late May last year just days after placing second in the 2020 Coca-Cola 600. Over the past five races there on this layout, the 12-time Cup winner has averaged, again, a 4.0 finish, on top of leading double-digit laps in five of the last seven.

Needless to say, the notebook that the 25-year-old champ and crew chief Alan Gustafson will be bringing to the track this weekend is likely already about flawless. Given that there’s actually going to be a practice session for this race, expect any hiccups in the No. 9’s setup for Sunday to be ironed out fairly quickly. It seems borderline impossible that — barring incident, it is a long race after all — Elliott won’t be at least in contention for the win.

And who better to bring home Hendrick’s 269th all-time Cup trophy and break the longstanding Petty Enterprises mark of 268?

RELATED: Hendrick Motorsports Wins by driver

WILHELM: A champion is a fine pick, but I’m going to go with some hometown cooking for Sunday night’s 600-miler.

Charlotte native William Byron is having a fantastic year in the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. His consistency has been unmatched, as his streak of top 10s ended last Sunday at Circuit of The Americas at 11 with an 11th-place finish. New crew chief Rudy Fugle has been exactly what Byron needed to propel him into potential championship contention.

Byron also owns two top starting spots at the Charlotte oval, with the first coming in the 2019 Coca-Cola 600 and the second in the series’ last trip on the oval in 2020. Byron was able to turn 2019’s pole run into his only top-10 finish there in four career starts — a ninth-place result.

Although the stats from a driver at Charlotte specifically could make a better case, I’m focusing on Byron’s recent results this season and the determination he’ll bring to earn victory in one of NASCAR’s biggest races at his home track. I think Byron’s drive and motivation to reach Victory Lane on Sunday night outweighs it all.

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR officials announced a penalty Tuesday to the No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet for a lug-nut violation after Saturday’s Pit Boss 250 Xfinity Series race at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas.

RELATED: Xfinity Series standings

The infraction fell under Section 10.9.10.4 in the NASCAR Rule Book, with the team’s car found with a single unsecured lug nut in a post-race check. The team’s crew chief Alex Yontz was fined $5,000.

Driver Justin Haley piloted the ride to a ninth-place finish in the race, his seventh top 10 of the season.

Posted on by Staff Report

The 2021 NASCAR Salutes Together with Coca-Cola campaign is more than just a military appreciation platform — it’s a campaign that salutes heroes next door. Each week, NASCAR.com will highlight multiple individuals who have made a difference with their service both in the military and to their communities.

In the latest profiles, NASCAR.com is highlighting three 2020 USO Service Members of the Year: SGT Mary Ehiarinmwian (USO Soldier of the Year), PO2 Andrew J. Fleming (USO Coast Guard Guardsman of the Year and Sgt Nolan P. McShane (USO Marine of the Year).

RELATED: Learn more about NASCAR Salutes | Archer, Rahman’s actions save lives

Smoy Army 2020 Sgt Ehiarinmwian Photo
SGT Mary Ehiarinmwian/Photo courtesy of USO

SGT Ehiarinmwian was driving to conduct Physical Readiness Training (PRT) at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii. On her way to PRT, she was unknowingly driving behind a vehicle of a soldier from the same unit when that vehicle suddenly lost control and rolled over several times before coming to a rest, upside down, on a steel property gate – almost impaling the driver.

She pulled her vehicle over and rendered assistance, seeing if the driver was injured before pulling the driver from the smoking vehicle and getting him to safety. Ehiarinmwian stayed with the driver until medical assistance arrived on site. She currently serves with the U.S. Army’s 523rd Engineer Support Company and is from St. Robert, Missouri.

PO2 Fleming was conducting on-water booming operations off the coast of Georgia in his role as a marine science technician when a report of a capsized recreational finishing vessel came over his radio. He quickly directed his workboat to respond to assist in the recovery of two mariners from the capsized vessel. Upon his arrival at the scene, Fleming was able to pull the mariners from the water. One was unconscious and he successfully performed CPR and was able to resuscitate. While everyone was en route to Station Brunswick, he noticed the second mariners was showing signs of hypothermia and shock. Fleming moved quickly to remove the mariner’s soaked outer clothing and wrapped him in his own jacket to retain body heat as they made their way to the station.

Smoy Coast Guard 2020 Fleming Usophoto
PO2 Andrew J. Fleming/Photo courtesy of USO

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Fleming led the efforts to establish protocols for Sector New York’s remote facility inspection program. This helped to safeguard branch personnel from exposure to the virus and planned operations to ensure that the 200 facilities within the area of responsibility remained compliant with protocols. He serves in the U.S Coast Guard’s Sector New York and is from Lawrenceville, Georgia.

Sgt McShane (pictured above) was honored for his quick thinking during a training exercise in Twentynine Palms, California. In the course of the exercise, a Marine become severely wounded and McShane moved quickly to control the chaotic site, while confirming tourniquet placement and inspecting the pressure dressings on the wounded Marine. His calmness, leadership and tactical knowledge were vital in stabilizing the Marine prior to the air medical evacuation to the local hospital. He currently serves with the U.S. Martine Corps’ 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion and hails from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The details of the honorees brave actions were provided by the USO.

Posted on by Press Release

ATTLEBORO, Mass. — All NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour teams will carry the name of a fallen hero on their roof decal this Saturday, May 29, at Jennerstown Speedway. As part of a partnership with Operation Vet NOW Inc. (OVN), JDV Productions — led by Josh Vanada — and NASCAR, the fourth race of the Whelen Modified Tour season will be the Jennerstown Salutes 150 presented by DGV.

The race — which comes on Memorial Day weekend — will honor those lost fighting in war for the freedoms of the United States of America, and beyond. Some of the heroes that will be on the Modifieds hit close to home for the drivers — with some carrying the name of their lost family members.

The list of heroes includes members of the Air Force, Marine’s, Army and Navy, with a mix of Captains, Majors, Staff Sergeants, Corporals, Master Sergeants, Sergeant 1st Class, Warrant Officers, Seaman, Lieutenant’s and more. The list includes heroes who earned the Medal of Honor, Silver Star and Bronze Star — and some who were a Prisoner of War or Missing in Action. It should be a special day for all involved. As the race day draws near, promoters have come together to release a list of the fallen heroes that will be honored on Saturday (see below).

RELATED: PIT BOX: Wide-open race on tap for Jennerstown Speedway

J.B. Fortin, who is in the middle of his third straight year of full-time Whelen Modified Tour racing, returns to Jennerstown for the third time in his career, looking to earn his first top-10 at the Pennsylvania oval. Fortin will carry the name of Air Force Airman First Class Gerard J Fortin — his grandfather — for Saturday’s event.

It’s a special moment for J.B. and the entire Fortin family. His father, John Fortin Sr., is coming off a win in NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series action at Riverhead Raceway last weekend, and the entire team is ready to honor their family member with a strong run in his honor.

“It’s big for me, and it would mean a lot to me to go out there and have a good run, especially on a weekend like this,” J.B. Fortin said. “My grandfather was my best friend when I was younger… we were inseparable. I actually have a tattoo with the Air Force symbol on my arm with his name on it. He never really got to see me race, moving down to Florida before I really got going. When NASCAR approached me and asked what name I would like to carry, I told them right away I was using my grandfather. No doubt about it.”

As previously released, two-time Whelen Modified Tour champion Justin Bonsignore will carry the name of Air Force Staff Sergeant David Weiger, and Weiger’s family will also be in attendance on Saturday’s as a Gold Star Family. Both of Weiger’s parents, and his brother, will be at Jennerstown Speedway to watch Bonsignore wheel the No. 51 Phoenix Communications machine.

Jon McKennedy, driving for Tommy Baldwin Racing, will carry the name of Army Sergeant Jason McClary — while McClary’s brother will be in attendance. The Wing Man & Name sake of Army Warrant Officer James L Darcy will be at the track, with Ron Silk carrying his name on top of his Kevin Stuart Motorsports No. 85 for the 150-lap affair.

Craig Lutz, Tyler Rypkema and six-time Whelen Modified Tour champion Doug Coby will carry the name of a hero who earned the Medal of Honor — the highest honor in the United States military from 1863 to current — with just over 3,500 awarded the honor.

Additional names may be added to the list if additional entries are received prior to race day. As of Tuesday, May 25, 23 cars are entered for the Jennerstown Salutes 150 presented by DGV.

Operation Vet NOW Inc. (OVN), a non-profit organization established to reduce veteran suicide and improve the overall wellness of veterans, regardless of era served, through innovative outreach experiences. OVN concentrates on veterans who suffer from the invisible injuries of PTSD, TBI, combat and transition stress issues, and mental health concerns, stemming from military service, connecting them to heal their mind, body and soul.

RELATED: Justin Bonsignore To Carry Fallen Service Member Staff Sergeant David Wieger’s Name at Jennerstown Speedway

As part of a one-day show, the Jennerstown local Late Models and Modifieds will also join the action. Practice begins at 2:45 p.m. for local divisions, with the only Whelen Modified Tour practice of the day set from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Mayhew Tools Dominator Pole qualifying, which will be single-car time trials, is set for 5:45 p.m. Following tour qualifying, local divisions will race, and the green flag in the Jennerstown Salutes 150, presented by DGV, will drop at 7:30 p.m.

General admission tickets are $30 for adults, with advance tickets now on sale at JDVProductions.com. A discounted ticket of $27 will be offered for Active Duty Military and Veterans. Tickets will also be available at the gate on the day of the race. Pit passes will be sold at the track only and are also available to the general public. There are no capacity restrictions in place for the event. The race will also air to a live audience on NBC Sports Gold through their TrackPass platform, which will include a special opening ceremony.

For more information on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, visit nascar.com. For more information on JDV Productions, visit JDV Productions on Facebook and follow at JDVProductions.com.

CONFIRMED FALLEN HEROES ON WHELEN MODIFIED TOUR CARS AT JENNERSTOWN:

01 — Melissa Fifield — Air Force Captain Frederick A Reid
07 — Patrick Emerling — Air Force Major James A Crew
1 — Woody Pitkat — Marine Staff Sergeant Robert L Babula
2 — Chuck Hossfeld — Private 1st Class Marine Paul A Gilbert
5 — Kyle Ebersole — Lance Corporal Marine Abram Howard
7 — Jon McKennedy — Army Sergeant Jason McClary
10 — Doug Coby — Air Force Master Sergeant John Chapman
14 — Scott Wylie — Army First Lieutenant James R Kalsu
22 — Kyle Bonsignore — Lance Corporal Marine Joshua T Twigg
32 — Tyler Rypkema — Army Sergeant 1st Class Randall Shughart
34 — JB Fortin — Air Force Airman First Class Gerard J Fortin
36 — David Sapienza — Air Force Staff Sergeant Dashawn Briggs
45 — Timmy Catalano — Army Sergeant First Class Brent Adams
46 — Craig Lutz — Army Private 1st Class Melvin Brown
51 — Justin Bonsignore — Air Force Staff Sergeant David Wieger
54 — Tommy Catalano — Army Sergeant First Class Justin K Bluementhal
58 — Eric Goodale — Navy Lieutenant Michael Murphy
64 — Timmy Solomito — Air Force Staff Sergeant Dylan Elchin
77 — Max McLaughlin — Navy Seaman Ralph L Hann
78 — Walter Sutcliffe — Army Specialist Christopher A Golby
82 — Anthony Nocella — Army Staff Sergeant Stevon Booker
85 — Ron Silk — Army Warrant Officer James L Darcy