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HOMETOWN HEROES
Standing Out
Each year, the U.S. Army and its NASCAR and NHRA partners honor some of the most courageous U.S. Army Soldiers by inviting them to enjoy a special day at the racetrack at select motorsports events.
Chosen for their exceptional bravery and service, U.S. Army Racing Hometown Heroes get a true racing experience during their day at the track. Heroes watch the competition from the pit, meet U.S. Army Racing teams, and get special recognition for exhibiting a strength like no other in service of their country.
MEET THE HEROES
"My experience as a Hometown Hero at Bristol Motor Speedway was awesome. I was treated with respect and everyone was very kind to me. Getting to tour the pits with the Army team was just phenomenal. They showed me all the inner workings of the car and how everything went during a pit stop. Getting to sit in the pit row and watch the race was just awesome - I had a front row seat to all the action. I'm thankful for the experience the Army gave me for my service to my country and I hope all Soldiers get a chance to live an experience like this one day."
SSG Kevin Manning
Purple Heart Recipient
"Being honored as a Hometown Hero at the Carolinas Nationals was one experience I will never forget. The day started out with lunch with Tony Schumacher, where I was introduced and was able to tell my Army story to him and his crew. After Tony won the race I was escorted to the finish line and was one of the first to tell him congratulations. I got to ride on the back of an Army truck down the drag strip with Tony, waving at the fans. Once we arrived at Victory Lane, Tony and I went to the main stage together where he was presented with his trophy. The day was great and I felt that my service was appreciated by all those involved with that special day. Tony Schumacher is a great guy and appreciates the men and women he represents in the U.S. Army."
SFC Michael Gainey
Bronze Star with Valor Device Recipient
SOLDIER - HONOR | EVENT - LOCATION | MOS |
---|---|---|
SSG Oeun Chharith Purple Heart | O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals Pomona, CA February 12 | 12B Combat Engineer |
SSG Joshua Liddell Bronze Star | Arizona NHRA Nationals Phoenix, AZ February 19 | 25Q Multichannel Transmission Systems Operator-Maintainer |
SSG Elvin E. Laureanopagan Purple Heart | Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals Gainesville, FL March 11 | 11B Infantryman/79R |
SFC Isaac Abeyta Purple Heart | Auto Club 400 - NASCAR Fontana, CA March 25 | 11C Indirect Fire Infantryman |
SSG Alex Hernandez Purple Heart | SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals Las Vegas, NV April 1 | 11B Infantryman |
SGT Brian Fullbright Purple Heart | SAMSUNG MOBILE 500 - NASCAR Fort Worth, TX April 14 | 11B Infantryman |
SSG Ray A. Sigmon Jr Bronze Star | NHRA 4-Wide Nationals Concord, NC April 15 | 13D Field Artillery Automated Tactical Data Systems Specialist (Formerly 13E) |
SFC Jason C. Hyde Bronze Star/Purple Heart | Richmond 400 - NASCAR Richmond, VA April 28 | 12B Combat Engineer |
SGT Tyler Franklin Albrektsen Purple Heart | O'Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals Houston, TX April 29 | 13F Fire Support Specialist |
SFC John Teasley Bronze Star | Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals Commerce, GA May 6 | 11B Infantryman |
SSG Mark Herr ARCOM w/V | NHRA Summer Nationals Topeka, KS May 20 | 11B Infantryman |
CPT Tim Page Bronze Star | Coca-Cola 600 - NASCAR Concord, NC May 27 | 11 Infantry Officer |
SFC Matthew Neuenfeldt Bronze Star/Purple Heart | NHRA SuperNationals Englishtown, NJ June 3 | 11B Infantryman |
SGT Michael G. Herman Bronze Star | Helluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 - NASCAR Brooklyn, MI June 17 | 91M Bradley Fighting Vehicle System Maintainer |
1SG Christopher A. Schuettler Bronze Star/Purple Heart | NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals Bristol, TN June 17 | 13T Field Artillery Surveyor/Meteorological Crewmember (Formerly 82C) |
SSG Benjamin Morris ARCOM w/V | O'Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals Chicago, IL July 1 | 19K M1 Armor Crewman |
CPT Stacey Jelks 2 Bronze Stars | Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals Norwalk, OH July 8 | 88 Transportation Branch Officer |
SSG Jacob A. Brock Bronze Star/Purple Heart | Lenox Industrial Tools 301 - NASCAR Loudon, NH July 15 | 12B Combat Engineer |
MSG Robert D. Groff Bronze Star with Valor | Mopar Mile High NHRA Nationals Denver, CO July 22 | 89A Ammunition Stock Control and Accounting Specialist |
SSG Raymond Bouches Bronze Star | NHRA Nationals Sonoma, CA July 29 | 91A M1 ABRAMS Tank System Maintainer |
SSG Katteri Franklin Bronze Star | O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Northwest Nationals Seattle, WA August 5 | 31B Military Police |
MAJ Steven Weber Silver Star/Bronze Star | Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals Brainerd, MN August 19 | 11 Infantry Officer |
SSG George McCready Bronze Star | ADVOCARE 500 - NASCAR Hampton, GA September 2 | 91H Track Vehicle Repairer |
CPT Jesse Ceja Bronze Star | Mac Tools US Nationals presented by Lucas Oil Indianapolis, IN September 3 | 11 Infantry Officer |
CPT Shawn Fitzgerald 2 Bronze Stars | O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Nationals Charlotte, NC September 16 | 12 Engineer Officer |
SSG Anthony Zapata Purple Heart | AAA Texas NHRA Fall Nationals Dallas, TX September 23 | 11B Infantryman |
SFC Micah Rittel Purple Heart | NHRA Auto Plus Nationals Reading, PA October 7 | 19D Cavalry Scout |
SSG John Zamarripa Silver Star | AMP ENERGY 500 - NASCAR Talladega, AL October 7 | 11X Infantryman |
NHRA Big O Tires Nationals Las Vegas, NV October 28 | ||
Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals Pomona, CA November 11 | ||
Ford 400 - NASCAR Homestead, FL November 18 |