Per Coca-Cola 600 custom, Charlotte Motor Speedway will once again host a moving tribute to members of the U.S. Armed Forces just prior to its annual Memorial Day weekend NASCAR Cup Series race. Highlighting all six branches of the military, the patriotic salute will include aerial support by the U.S. Army Blackhawks, Howitzer demonstrations and static military vehicle displays, with more than 600 service members taking part.
“This is the coolest weekend all year,” Stewart-Haas Racing driver Aric Almirola said. “Being able to race and pay tribute to the men and women who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for me to live in the greatest country in the world is really cool. My dad was in the Air Force, so I know firsthand what the families have sacrificed. There are men and women who wake up every day and fight for our freedom, and some of them lay down their lives for us. We get to do really cool things, and I get to drive a race car for a living without the worry of being attacked. We take it for granted that we live in a safe and free country. Honoring the military members who paid the ultimate sacrifice this weekend is the least we can do.”
Each Cup Series car competing in Sunday’s race, sometimes known as the “600 Miles of Remembrance,” will prominently feature the name of a fallen service member on its windshield. In addition, at the halfway point of the race, each driver still in the race will come down pit road and shut off his engine in a moment of remembrance for those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.