Charlotte Motor Speedway pre-race schedule
51st Coca-Cola 600 Pre-Race Festivities to Feature Military Salute; A-Team Cast, Dr. Dobson, Wounded Soldier Hyland also to Participate CONCORD, N.C. (May 25, 2010) - During the pre-race show for the 51st running of the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday, ...
51st Coca-Cola 600 Pre-Race Festivities to Feature Military Salute; A-Team Cast, Dr. Dobson, Wounded Soldier Hyland also to Participate
CONCORD, N.C. (May 25, 2010) - During the pre-race show for the 51st running of the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday, May 30, Charlotte Motor Speedway officials will salute the U.S. armed forces with a military demonstration, special awards, military band performances and a presentation with Medal of Honor recipients. The pre-race festivities will also include appearances by the cast of "The A-Team," Twentieth Century Fox's summer motion picture event which opens June 11, an invocation by renowned family advocate Dr. James Dobson and the singing of the national anthem by wounded veteran and trained opera singer Cpl. John Hyland.
Gates will open at 12:30 p.m. An approximate timeline of pre-race events follows:
4:00 p.m. - 4:40 p.m.
A procession of force protection military vehicles will take a parade lap
around the track, followed by the presentation of the Stonewall Jackson
Award to Col. Joe Marm and the Hometown Heroes Award presentation to 1st
Sgt. James Jetton and Staff Sgt. Mary Nelms, both from Charlotte, N.C.
Following the presentation, the 82nd Airborne Division Chorus and the U.S.
Army Drill Team will perform.
4:40 p.m. - 5:20 p.m.
Video presentations produced by The History Channel will be played on Sprint
Vision screens honoring veterans of World War II, the Korean War, and the
Vietnam War, as well as active military and veterans from modern-day
conflicts including Desert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom and Iraqi
Freedom. Following the presentations, a parade of vintage military planes
will take to the skies, including a P-51 Mustang owned by Roush Fenway
Racing founder and co-owner Jack Roush, a legendary B-17 bomber that played
the role of the Memphis Belle in the 1990 movie of the same name, a giant
C-47 transport plane, an A1-H Skyraider and a T-28 Trojan. Personnel from
Fort Bragg, N.C., will conduct a military demonstration on the frontstretch
involving Little Bird helicopters, military vehicles, a Howitzer
demonstration and more than 600 troops.
Medal of Honor recipients Robert Maxwell (World War II), Ronald Rosser (Korea) and Charles Hagemeister (Vietnam) will be recognized on the pre-race stage. A tribute to honor the families of fallen soldiers from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro, N.C., including Capt. Thomas "Lag" Gramith and Capt. Mark "Pit Bull" McDowell, who hailed from Charlotte, will follow.
5:20 p.m. - 5:45 p.m.
A host of VIPs will grace the pre-race stage including Honorary Race
Director Eric Cantor, Virginia Congressman; Honorary Starter Joe Hackney,
North Carolina House Speaker; cast members from "The A-Team," including
Jessica Biel; several executives from Coca-Cola, and John Schnatter, founder
of Papa John's. Driver introductions for the Coca-Cola 600 will follow.
5:45 p.m. - 6:10 p.m.
The U.S. Army parachute team The Golden Knights will perform a jump over the
speedway. Dr. James Dobson, founder of the non-profit group Focus on the
Family and host of the radio program "Family Talk," will give the
invocation. Purple Heart recipient, Charlotte native, opera singer and
NASCAR fan Cpl. John Hyland will sing the national anthem. Cast members
from "The A-Team"' will deliver the green flag. The command "Gentlemen,
Start Your Engines," will be given by Grand Marshal John Faulkenbury, North
Carolina United Service Organizations President and the families of Sgt.
James Dickens (U.S. Marine Corps); Staff Sgt. Michael Foley (U.S. Army) and
Staff Sgt. Dustin Barnes (U.S. Air Force).
Additionally, the Presentation of Colors will be performed by the U.S. All Army Color Guard and a bagpipe performance of "Amazing Grace" will be given by the Charlotte Fire Department Pipes and Drums. A 21-gun salute and "Taps" will be performed by soldiers stationed at Fort Bragg. During the national anthem, 100 family members of service men and women from Fort Bragg will unfurl a large American flag shaped like the United States on the frontstretch grass. The final fly-over before the start of the Coca-Cola 600 will include four F-15 Eagles flown by pilots from the 333rd Fighter Squadron at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.
Fans can purchase a ticket to the 51st running of the Coca-Cola to see not only a great race, but a patriotic and entertaining pre-race show. Tickets for all Coca-Cola 600 Week events are available at the gates on event days, online at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com or by calling the Charlotte Motor Speedway ticket office at 1-800-455-FANS.
-source: cms
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