THE OFFICIAL NASCAR 2020 pREVIEW & PRESS GUIDE 33
peration Commando rath, when his
team was attacked. Shurer ran through
enemy re to reach wounded soldiers,
eventually getting wounded himself.
During the Fourth of uly holiday
weekend, Littrell and Shurer
participated in a variety of events.
Meanwhile, Army Col. Hal Kushner,
who was a P in Vietnam for more
than ve years, drove the Honorary
Pace Truck.
Hosting Medal of Honor recipients
is a tradition in and of itself for our
Independence holiday weekend,
says Daytona International Speedway
President Chip ile. Real American
heroes and the greatest American
sport, NASCAR, are a perfect match for
our facility, our industryand our fans.
e are, as always, privileged to have
recipients join us for our red, white, and
blue celebration.
Patriotic gestures such as these ourish
because of what NASCAR refers to as
its collective expression of reverence,
respect and gratitude for those who
have served and continue to defend the
United States.
ne might wonder why the relationship
between NASCAR and the military runs
so deep and wide. A little background
helps:
Seeds of speed planted deep in
Americas consciousness during orld
ar Two yielded a nationwide harvest
in the post-war years. Soldiers, Sailors,
Marines and Airmen returning home
from faraway places like Normandy,
Tunisia, kinawa, and Sicily, caught
a glimpse of the future in battle-tested
aircraft with bold names like Lightning,
ildcat, Mustang, and Marauder
names that eventually found their
way onto the fenders and deck-lids of
American muscle cars.
Military men and women returning
homeweary of drab olive-green tanks,
eeps, and truckswould soon be
captivated by ashy boulevard cruisers
with big ns trimmed in gleaming
chrome.
And power. Lots of power.
As Capt. Chuck Yeager was shattering
the sound barrier with the Bell X-1 in
1947, Bill France was getting ready
to launch NASCAR in 1948. During
the lifestyle-changing, post-war years
between 1945 and 1950, hustle and
high-stakes competition pulsated
through the veins and brains of an upand
coming generation.
Aerodynamics pushed aircraft and race
cars in dramatic new directions: Mach
ne was fast enough in 1947 to turn
heads. By 1953, breaking the sound
barrier was old hat as Scott Crosseld
hit Mach Two in the swept-winged
Douglas D-558-2 Skyrocket.
And so it was with NASCAR.
Bob Flock took the pole position at
NASCARs inaugural race at Charlotte
Speedway in 1949 with a top speed of
67.958 mph. A few years later, Flocks
brother, Fonty, took the pole at the
1953 Southern 500 in Darlington by
going 107.983 miles per hour.
1959 was a landmark year for both
aviation and racing:
America gave birth to the commercial
jet age with the Boeing 707an
aircraft largely based on the
militarys KC-135