HAMPTON – The NASCAR Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 was jam-packed with festivities Sunday.
The race was held at the all-new Atlanta Motor Speedway and featured celebrity appearances, an Air Force flyover and swearing-in ceremony and a pre-show concert from Travis Denning.
Airmen with Moody Air Force Base led the swearing-in ceremony, welcoming the Air Force recruits on the AMS pre-show stage.
Michael Lammey, retired U.S. Navy petty officer 1st Class, received the Folds of Honor.
According to the organization, Lammey served nine years during Operation Enduring Freedom and was on the U.S.S. Frank Cable, Guam, when he suffered third-degree burns after the ship’s boiler exploded.
Lammey was the race’s honorary starter.
Also in attendance during the main event was honorary pace car driver John Smoltz and “The National Anthem” singer the Maneuver Center of Excellence Band from Fort Benning.
Atlanta Operatic Tenor Timothy Miller performed “God Bless America.”
The 74th Fighter Squadron, The World Famous Flying Tigers, from Moody Air Force Base in Valdosta completed a fly-over.
Notable guests were country music singer-songwriter John Rich, former Atlanta Brave Dale Murphy, college football player from Georgia Robert Beal Jr., Olympians Elana Meyers Taylor, Nic Taylor, and Aja Evans, actor Antoine Morgan, and Motown rapper Duke Deuce.
Siblings Olivia and Mason Mathiesen was in the crowd watching with parents Mike and Jennifer Mathiesen. The family drove in from St. Louis.
Olivia enjoyed seeing all of the cars while Mason favored No. 5 Kyle Larson.
Mike found the inclusion of the military service extremely significant for the NASCAR race.
“(They) let us do what we do every single day,” he said. “Can’t take that for granted. It’s a great educational piece for our kids, too, to let them know that they served to protect us so that we can do everything we can do every single day and we get to enjoy things like this every day.”
Eileen Stark and Roger Hutchison traveled to Atlanta from Kentucky while Beverly Gray traveled from Warner Robins. The group attended in honor of Gray’s late husband, who was a veteran, and veteran Hutchison’s 37 years in the military.
Gray said it was amazing for NASCAR to honor the Armed Services.
Gray and Stark were hoping for a win from Larson or No. 9 Chase Elliott.
Larson had quite the support Sunday from friends Grace Royal, Gavin Royal and Walker Davis.
“Shake and Bake and God bless America,” Davis said.
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