The pace car is unloaded from the rear of an MH-47 Chinook helicopter prior to the start of Sunday's NASCAR race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The helicopter was flown by members of the Fort Campbell, Ky.-based 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne). (Tim Parks / Special to Stripes)
WASHINGTON — NASCAR fans went wild Sunday as Army Special Forces showed off their own expert driving, maneuvering an MH-47 Chinook helicopter onto Atlanta Motor Speedway to drop off the pace car for the Golden Corral 500.
Plans had been in the works for nearly three months for the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment out of Fort Campbell, Ky., to make the special delivery during pre-race ceremonies, said racetrack director of events Brandon Hutchinson
“There is always some kind of military involvement — from flyovers to color guard — in pre-race festivities here at Atlanta Motor Speedway,” Hutchinson said. “We like fast and loud fly-bys. Anything to get the fans pumped up.”
More than 50,000 race fans saw the heavy assault chopper piloted by Green Berets land along the front stretch of the 1.54-mile track to drop off its cargo: the pace car and television analysts Darrell Waltrip and Jeff Hammond.
“Anyone who has had the opportunity to share some time with our military personnel can tell you that we are under the protection of some of the finest men and women in the country,” Hammond said in an e-mail to Stars and Stripes.
“I was honored to take part in the exercise and am extremely thankful for all that they sacrifice on our behalf.”
Leading the Special Operations demonstration this year was Lt. Gen. Philip R. Kensinger Jr., commanding general of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command.
Air commandos from the U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command at Hurlburt Field, Fla., and Navy SEALs from the U.S. Naval Special Warfare Command, San Diego, also were honored during the ceremonies.
“NASCAR races are such a logical place to build community relations,” said Kelly A. Tyler, spokesperson for the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. “Races are great recruiting events.”
Sunday’s demonstration was the second-straight year members of the Army, Navy and Air Force took part in pre-race celebrations at the Atlanta event.
Earlier this year, a Florida sailor who served in Iraq was named honorary starter of NASCAR’s Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway.
