DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The men and women who will be honored during NASCAR's Memorial Day weekend tribute to fallen U.S. service members demonstrate integrity, pride, and bravery. Their stories cannot help but inspire those inside the race car for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 (6 p.m. ET, Fox) and those watching the race in person at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Each race team is commemorating a fallen soldier, a person who made the ultimate sacrifice — his or her life — for our country and for our freedom. Their stories are as diverse as they are inspiring.
Brad Keselowski will carry the name of Marine Corps Sgt. Chris Eckard on his No. 2 Team Penske Ford. Eckard, who was born in the heart of NASCAR country — Hickory, N.C. — served in the Army and the Marine Corps. He deployed to Iraq, and then re-enlisted. He was killed in Afghanistan’s Helmand Province on Feb. 20, 2010. He is survived by his wife and two sons.
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Ty Dillon, the driver of the No. 13 Chevrolet for Germain Racing, will carry the name of Army Pvt. Charlie Anthony, who was killed in May 1969 while serving in Vietnam. Anthony was a star on his high school basketball and track teams in Naples, Fla., before being drafted into service a year after graduation. Just before deploying, he married his high school sweetheart, Laura, and they had one daughter, Cassandra. Anthony was posthumously awarded the Silver Star, the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart.
Erik Jones will carry the name of a fellow Michigan native, U.S. Army Cpl. Nicholas Roush, on his No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Roush, 22, was killed while serving in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in the Herat Province of Afghanistan. It was his first deployment. Roush is survived by his mother, Donna; his father, Robert, and brothers Bobby and Kyle, all of Middleville, Mich.
Indiana native Ryan Newman will carry the name of Navy Corpsman Ryan Lohrey on his No. 31 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. Lohrey is from Anderson, Ind. — a short drive from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Lohrey, 31, served as both a Navy and Marine Corps parachutist and died July 10, 2017. He received a Purple Heart and also earned the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal and a Combat Action Ribbon with gold star in place of a second award. He was married to Cassie and they have three children.
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Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron, who attends Liberty University, will honor a fellow Liberty community member. Army Maj. Michael Donahue, 41, was an alumnus and assistant professor of military science at Liberty who taught in the university's Army ROTC program. Donahue served three combat tours of duty (in South Korea, Iraq and Afghanistan) and was killed Sept. 16, 2014, by a Taliban suicide bomber in Kabul, Afghanistan. Among the many honors he received for his service were a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart and the Meritorious Service Medal. He is survived by his wife, Sherry, and three children.
Kyle Larson’s No. 42 Chip Ganassi Chevrolet will carry the name of Capt. Kimberly Hampton. Hampton, of Easley, S.C., was an honors graduate and an accomplished tennis player at Presbyterian College, where she served as battalion commander of the college's Army ROTC unit. She later commanded the Delta Troop in the 1st Squadron of the 17th Cavalry Regiment. She became the first female pilot killed in Iraq when the helicopter she was piloting was shot down Jan. 2, 2004. Hampton, 27, was stationed with the 82nd Airborne Division in Iraq. She had previously served in South Korea and Afghanistan.
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These are just a few of the servicemen and women that Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers will honor in Sunday night’s race. Each driver will have the name of a different service member on their car, representing generations of military service.
A prerace “Salute to the Troops” will feature demonstrations from all five branches of the U.S. armed forces and include F-15 fighter jets, a Blackhawk helicopter, Humvees, Howitzers, a HIMARS rocket system, a Marine MTVR vehicle and two combat rubber raiding craft.
The Fort Bragg Firing Party will take part in a 21-gun salute and the Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force will have interactive, fan-friendly displays in the speedway’s Fan Zone.
Senior leaders representing all five branches of the military will address the crowd.
Holly Cain writes for the NASCAR Wire Service.