The Coca-Cola 600 is the longest race of the NASCAR season. But that’s only part of what has become a nearly 40-year tradition at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
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CMS collectively stands up and salutes to honor tens of thousands of U.S. military members and their families over the years for each Memorial Day weekend.
The racetrack invites thousands of active duty military members of all ranks and all five of the U.S. major military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard to take part in pre-race festivities and then, of course, to stay and enjoy the race.
Over the years, CMS has hosted simulated invasions, soldiers parachuting onto the grounds, simulated bombings and other activities to highlight what the U.S. military does to keep the U.S. safe.
And NASCAR plays a big part of the event, with many of the sport’s stars showing their support, including signing autographs, taking photos with soldiers, and the simplest yet most effective way of showing support: stopping and talking with soldiers for a few minutes, showing that they and NASCAR really care about the military’s efforts.
Earlier this month, in preparation for this weekend’s activities at the racetrack, Hendrick Motorsports star Chase Elliott toured the U.S. Coast Guard Station Wrightsville Beach, part of U.S. Coast Guard Sector North Carolina.
“Memorial Day weekend is a is a big weekend for our country,” Elliott said. “I have always felt like NASCAR and Charlotte Motor Speedway in particular has always done a really good job of showcasing and showing that appreciation that we as an industry have for our servicemen and women around the world.
“I think it’s really special to be a part of a sport that has that type of showcasing on a yearly basis and it seems like it just gets bigger and better every year. It really, really makes me proud to be a part of it
Chase Elliott mentioned that he’s looking forward to the Coca-Cola 600 for a lot of reasons, and that will certainly be one of them.
Livin’ the life of a Coast Guard crew member for a day
After a tour of the facilities, Elliott literally transformed into a member of the Coast Guard for the day, going through many of the same activities that Coast Guard members go through.
The unit’s primary missions include Search and Rescue, Marine Safety and Ports and Waterways Coastal Security to Marine Environmental Protection, Aids to Navigation, Maritime Law Enforcement and Recreational Boating Safety.
“We kind of gave him a day in the life of the Coast Guard and just kind of showcased our skills,” a Coast Guard spokesman said. “We started off with a tour of the station, ran him through a mock search and rescue case scenario where he was able to go out on our 45 (foot) response boat medium and responded to a vessel in distress that was taking on water.
“He was able to drive the 45 a little bit and practice some man overboards with person in the water recoveries, both as a crewman and driving the boat as a cockswain. And then (Elliott was) able to mingle with the crew for lunch. We treated him to some good old Carolina-fashion barbecue.”
Adding that they were able to sit down and get some quality one-on-one time with him, he said it was a great opportunity to really get to know each other and showcase what they do there.
“We have some big NASCAR fans here and they were just super excited to be able to meet him and interact with him. It really boosted the morale around here. I think going forward we’re all going to be looking for the big race and he definitely earned some fans here today,” the spokesman continued.
As his day’s activities came to a conclusion, Elliott thanked his hosts, turned to the assembled crew members and said with a big smile, “So have fun and uh enjoy the show!”
