Pit Note No. 2
Diamonds Direct Extends Partnership with Charlotte Motor Speedway
In an afternoon press announcement at Charlotte Motor Speedway, officials from Diamonds Direct awarded NASCAR Sprint Series Coca Cola 600 race winner Carl Edwards with a new ECJ Luxe by Diamonds Direct watch. The presentation was part of an announcement that Charlotte Motor Speedway has extended its partnership with Diamonds Direct to rename their Winner’s Circle Lounge the ECJ Presented by Diamonds Direct Winner’s Circle Lounge.
As part of the partnership, Diamonds Direct will award the winner of the three annual NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Charlotte Motor Speedway, including this weekend’s Bank of America 500, with a new luxury watch, in addition to the race championship ring they already receive.
“This is about as cool as it gets,” said Edwards. “This is like Christmas. I’m a little embarrassed at how excited I am about this watch. This is a beautiful watch. I also want to thank you for all that you have done for Speedway Children’s Charities. I am definitely going to wear this all weekend and show it off.”
Kelsey Halford, vice president of Brand Marketing and Branding ECJ Luxe by Diamond Direct and Diamonds Direct USA, presented Edwards with the gift.
“These are handmade watches that are second to none,” said Halford. “They are made in England and this particular piece is the Silverstone, named for the Silverstone race track there. They have been around since the 1700s. We hope you enjoy it.”
Jeff Gordon Reflects on Charlotte Motor Speedway Memories
During his weekend media availability, retiring NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Jeff Gordon took time to reflect on what Charlotte Motor Speedway has meant to him and his career.
“I feel incredible, really overwhelming, coming here,” said Gordon. “When I first came here, to see it, I was so impressed, thinking this was really cool. It’s hard to believe that 25 years later and to see your name as a tribute is really special. I hope this last one is special too. This is a big weekend for everybody, so a win here would be monumental. I got my first win here so this place will always be special. This is also the first place I ever tested a stock car and the first place I tested a Sprint Cup Series car. There are certain things I see like a video that I get emotional. There are moments that things just hit me and I’m sure at Homestead, I will get emotional. The greatest thing about this season is spending time with the fans. They want to know all these different things and that puts a smile on my face. If I measure this season by that, then this season will have been the greatest.”
Shannon Koch Wins 5th Annual Better Half Dash
Shannon Koch, wife of NASCAR XFINITY Series driver Blake Koch, won the fifth annual Better Half Dash, a charity event benefitting Motor Racing Outreach and Speedway Children’s Charities. Koch led most of the race and won by only one second over Kaitlyn Sweet, girlfriend of Kyle Larson. Tandra Greenfield, Jordon Fish and Kristen Yeley finished third through fifth. Tati Papis, Ashley Stremme, Melanie Self, Jenna Robinson, Whitney Scott and Wendy Venturini rounded out the field.
Koch started from the pole and survived a close call when Jenna Robinson drove on top of Koch’s car and tore the rear body off. Koch retook the lead for good on lap seven of the 25-lap event.
Shannon Koch – “I’m happy we won. It’s a tribute to everyone who helps raise money for us to be here. This was my first time racing in the Better Half Dash. I really didn’t know I lost part of my car until I came back around and they were picking it up off the track. My husband said keep going and that’s what I did. I could see Kaitlyn in my mirror the whole time. I didn’t know I had this until I crossed the line. This is definitely the biggest trophy in the house now. It’s going right up there with the rest of them.”
Blake Koch – “Man she did great. She is just naturally gifted. It makes for a good future for our son, who I hope gets to race. He’s got some good genes from her side. We can’t thank Leaf Guard enough for sponsoring us. We were able to put pink on the race car. This is a special weekend for us as my mom is a breast cancer survivor, so you see her car is pink. It’s just really, really cool and I’m happy for her.”
Kaitlyn Sweet – “This was a lot of fun. I am glad to have the opportunity to do this. I can’t tell you what Kyle (boyfriend Kyle Larson) told me to do though. I would definitely do it again.”
Tandra Greenfield – “I definitely tried to play it cool there. My husband (Clay Greenfield) was really good about telling me how to not drive the car too hard. That way if there were any wrecks I could try and dodge it. He was really good about teaching me where my lines are. This is my first year, so we did really good. The race was definitely a little more intense than practice last night. It was a fun race.”
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