Backseat Blonde - NASCAR Offers More Than Lip Service to Nation’s Military

December 20, 2004

NASCAR Offers More Than Lip Service to Nation’s
Military
By Allison Wagda

There’s only one sound that can drown out the roar of a
stock car on race day…fighter jets.

If you have never attended a NASCAR race in person, the
pre-race show is quite a sight. The pageantry often
includes local soldiers in tribute, and a military flyover
usually timed to coincide with the Star Spangled Banner (also occasionally sung by
servicemen/women) that leaves spectators awestruck. B-1 bombers, F16s, B-2
stealth bombers and even Air Force One have made appearances.

It all leaves an indelible impression on fans at the track.

Last weekend, I was dozing off during an NFL game when the announcer paused
and said, “We’d like to take a moment to offer our thanks to all the soldiers overseas
watching today.”

It was a nice sentiment, and one I’ve heard often during football games. Somehow
this particular time it just seemed perfunctory and insincere, like the commentator
was simply reading from a script (he probably was).

So it got me thinking about NASCAR’s steadfast support of our men and women in
the military.

I’ve heard NASCAR detractors, especially those who insist on dividing up our country
into red and blue states, claim NASCAR uses the military as a way to market
patriotism. While rarely will I pass up an opportunity to take NASCAR to task for
overzealous and pre-fabricated publicity strategies, in this instance I simply don’t buy
into that argument.

NASCAR honors the military from the heart, because the heart of the military is
inexorably tied to the South - the birthplace of the sport. According to a government
study in 2000, over 42% of the U.S. armed forces personnel are from the South.

The military certainly believes racing is fertile grounds for recruitment, as noted by
their team sponsorships. In 2004, various branches on the military were at least part-
time title sponsors on 3 full-time cars in Nextel Cup racing and 3 in the Busch series.

And although I couldn’t find any official figures, I suspect many of our soldiers are
also racing fans.

“Anytime we get an opportunity to honor the military is great,” said Dale Earnhardt Jr.
last May in a media teleconference. “It’s obviously a big part of what’s going on today.
But, NASCAR is taking an extra effort to show their support. Regardless of what
might be happening in the world, whether they’re fighting overseas or whatever. We
always made that effort to make sure they knew how special they were to us and how
much they meant to us. Ever since I could remember we’ve have military people at
the drivers meetings being introduced at every race, I’ve ever been to. They’ve always
been some form of sponsorship in the sport. There has always been a great link
between us and the military, which I like a lot.

NASCAR and its related teams do more than simply vocally appreciate military’s
efforts to keep us free or offer occasional discounts to soldiers.

For example, the June race at Dover this past season was renamed the MBNA 400:
A Salute to Heroes, in honor of the 60th anniversary of D-Day. Before the race,
William A. McIntosh, president of The National D-day Memorial Foundation said, “The
race theme is a worthy reminder of the valor, fidelity, and sacrifice of the Allied Forces
on D-Day.”

Pre-race activities included a fly-over of World War II-era military aircraft, including the
world’s only B-29 bomber still in flight, and several D-Day veterans were honored in
pre-race ceremonies. Bobby Labonte, Nextel Cup driver of the #18 MBNA-sponsored
Chevrolet Monte Carlo, unveiled a special paint scheme reminiscent of World War II
military equipment.

In September Cup driver Terry Labonte's wife Kim, also mother of Busch Series
driver Justin Labonte (sponsored by the U.S. Coast Guard), joined 50 other private
citizens invited by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld on an international military
base tour for the Defense Department's Joint Civilian Orientation Conference. The
conference was created to help the public obtain a better understanding of national
defense policies and programs through opinion leaders, such as Labonte (noted for
her charitable efforts), who return to their communities and share firsthand
observations and knowledge gained during the conference.

The military has also taken advantage of NASCAR’s technical innovation and tactical
strategies. Just last week, the Winston-Salem Journal reported the U.S Army is set to
begin using windshield tear-offs, originally designed for and now commonly used in
stock cars, for Blackhawk helicopters flying the dusty conditions in Iraq and
Afghanistan. The simple plastic sheet can dramatically improve visibility by protecting
the integrity of the glass. Without the tear-offs, helicopter windshields had to be
replaced often, a time consuming and costly process.

Back in May, Marines at Twentynine Palms in Southern California tapped NASCAR
crew members for some pointers to improve the efficiency of Marine helicopter
refueling crews. Racing teams, in an effort to offer their driver every possible second
extra on the track, have studied and practiced synchronized pit stops to perfection.
For the Marines, any tips could mean the difference between life and death.

There are plenty of other examples of how NASCAR drivers and teams offer more
than mere lip service to our men and women in uniform. Jeff Gordon has visited
military hospitals to offer support to the wounded. Jerry Nadeau, driver of the 01 Army
car prior to an accident, visited troops in Afghanistan and Kuwait. The list goes on.

In a time when our country is at war and uncertainty rules our daily lives, it is easy to
jump on the patriotic bandwagon and acknowledge the soldiers and their families
who sacrifice daily to preserve our way of life. It is also darned easy for some TV
producer to insert a bland “thank you” in such a way as to maintain appearances
without offending the anti-war peaceniks.

It’s especially notable for an entire sport to genuinely celebrate our troops - both
during war and after it has ended. It’s a treasured tradition I hope perseveres during
this time of domestic and international expansion.

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