Germain Racing and GEICO Set to Honor Military Service Members Throughout Coca-Cola 600 Weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway

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The greatest weekend in racing is upon us! NASCAR’s time to shine will come with Sunday night’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Ty Dillon will pilot the No. 13 GEICO Military Camaro ZL1 in the season’s longest race. This will be his third start in the 600-mile race.

 

The GEICO Military Camaro ZL1 team will be honoring a fallen hero on this Memorial Day weekend. Corporal Robert “Bobby” Steele’s name will be displayed on the windshield header of Dillon’s Chevrolet. CPL Steele served his country honorably in the United States Marine Corps. He tragically lost his life on August 28, 1967, in a rocket mortar attack of his hootch as he slept after changing shifts to help a fellow soldier while stationed in the Quang Nam Province, South Vietnam. He paid the ultimate sacrifice fighting for the freedoms that citizens of the United States of America enjoy today. Steele’s younger sister, Becky, was a childhood friend of Larry Rogers, Germain Racing’s General Manager.

 

Also being honored by Germain Racing and GEICO this weekend is Sergeant First Class Matthew Thomas of the United States Army. A proud Army Ranger, he led his fellow Rangers with enthusiasm and grit, demonstrating courage and fortitude both in training and in combat. He passed away on March 10, 2019, after a career of service to his country. SFC Thomas was the troop leader for J.D. Barnette, the son of a GEICO Racing team member.
Dillon Weekend Chatter
How are Germain Racing and GEICO planning to honor Memorial Day weekend?
“We will run the GEICO Military scheme this weekend at Charlotte. The ‘geckoflage’ makes it such a cool paint scheme, and everyone loves it. We always enjoy running this race and honoring those that have died while fighting for our freedom and those that are still actively fighting as we speak. Getting to have this scheme on track for Memorial Day weekend is very special.”
 
How do you prepare for 600 miles of racing?
“The Coca-Cola 600 is just a long race. It takes a lot of work to be ready for the length of time that I’ll be inside of the GEICO Military Camaro ZL1. This year, it will be nearly 100 degrees in Charlotte on race day. So, preparation in the weeks leading up to the weekend is incredibly important. I make sure that I’m hydrated and that I’ve been eating the right foods for a few weeks before the race. Doing all the work the day before won’t help you past mile 500. It also helps that the more you compete in this race, the more you can better prepare yourself.  I’m going into my third Coca-Cola 600. It never feels any shorter, but I do know how to approach it.”

Germain Racing PR

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