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Air Force kicks off NASCAR season at Daytona

  • Published
  • By Maj. Sean McKenna
  • Air Force Recruiting Service Public Affairs
RANDOLPH Air Force Base, Texas --  The Air Force begins its seventh year of sponsorship in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series when the No. 21 car begins the 2007 season Feb. 10 at the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway, Fla.

The Air Force No. 21 car, owned by Wood Brothers Racing/JTG Organization, features a new paint scheme this season as well as a new driver, Jon Wood.

The Air Force is both a primary and associate sponsor of the No. 21 car. As primary sponsor, the car will feature the Air Force paint scheme in eight of 38 NASCAR races this season, beginning with the Budweiser Shootout. Other races include Las Vegas on March 11; Richmond, Va., on May 5; Concord, N.C., on May 27; Daytona on July 7; Pocono, Pa., on Aug. 5; Bristol, Tenn., on Aug. 25; and Dover, Del., on Sept. 23.

Jon Wood, a fixture on the NASCAR Busch Series, will drive the car in all but one of eight races the Air Force is the primary sponsor. Veteran No. 21 driver Ken Schrader will race the Air Force car during the Budweiser Shootout, having won the event in both 1989 and 1990.

"Having a chance to represent the Air Force is an honor," said Mr. Wood, 25. "It means getting a chance to represent the men and women who put their lives on the line around the world every day so we can enjoy the freedoms we do."

Air Force Recruiting Service, which oversees the sponsorship and marketing of the Air Force No. 21 car, sees the association with the Wood Brother/JTG as a fantastic opportunity for race fans to learn more about the Air Force.

"The Air Force recruits the best young men and women possible to fill our highly skilled and technical jobs, and NASCAR is a great venue to get people interested in what the Air Force has to offer," said Master Sgt. Rupert Brown, who heads up the NASCAR event marketing team at AFRS. "The Air Force is excited to begin a new racing season at Daytona."