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  • Kurt Busch, Patricia Driscoll and Brandon Igdalsky Announce Troops to Table Poker Event

    Kurt Busch, Patricia Driscoll and Brandon Igdalsky Announce Troops to Table Poker Event

    Brandon Igdalsky, President/CEO of Pocono Raceway, along with NASCAR driver Kurt Busch, Armed Forces Foundation President Patricia Driscoll, and Lorene King, Executive Director of the NASCAR Foundation, announced this morning that the Third Annual Pocono Celebrity Charity Poker Showdown will be held this year on Thursday, July 31st at Mohegan Sun prior to the track’s August race.

    “The last two years, we have hosted the celebrity poker tournament at Mohegan Sun and it’s been a tremendous success,” Igdalsky said. “We’ve always done it for this race but this year we decided to do it prior to our August event with Kurt and Patricia and their Foundation to build this into a bigger and more impressive event than it already is.”

    “They have done a tremendous job of raising big funds and they are going to help us take it to the next level,” Igdalsky continued. “It’s not a big donation to come out and enjoy it. Donations to play start at $250 for your seat to play and VIP meet and greet prior and $150 if you just want to come and be a spectator and take part in the VIP. A $100 donation reserves a seat in the poker tournament and a $50 donation allows for fans to attend the event as spectators. The top-finishing fan will receive a choice between two exciting prizes – a VIP Race Experience at Pocono Raceway or a VIP Stay and Play Experience at Mohegan Sun.”

    “It’s a nice evening and we’re going to make this a kick ass event.”

    All proceeds from this year’s event will benefit both the NASCAR Foundation and the Armed Forces Foundation.

    “We’ve partnered together with the Armed Forces Foundation’s Annual Education Initiative, Operation Caring Classroom,” Lorene King, Executive Director of the NASCAR Foundation said. “This program increases awareness, appreciation and support among children in the military. It impacts 40,000 children across the country in 100 schools.”

    “We’re really honored to be a part of this,” Patricia Driscoll, President of the Armed Forces Foundation said. “We have hundreds of thousands of kids participating in our program. Our families suffer too when it comes to post traumatic stress syndrome.”

    “We’re really excited to partner with the NASCAR Foundation to make our program grow even bigger.”

    NASCAR champion Kurt Busch, one of the drivers who has participated in the past poker competitions, acknowledged that the competition is fierce, even if the cause is charitable.

    “Greg Biffle, he likes to flash around his experience,” Busch said. “But he’s vulnerable in certain areas. I can see the certain cards he likes to play.”

    “The young kids who come in, you don’t know if you’re good at it or not, but they come in and their chip count starts stacking up,” Busch continued. “You have to watch out for those young guys because they can count cards quicker than us old guys. It’s just a lot of fun to watch the sponsors, individuals and then a large group that come to make the donation and be involved in the fun.”

    “It’s also a matter of bragging rights as well for how many celebrities you can take down,” Busch continued. “Mike Helton has come, John Darby and a lot of the NASCAR top officials and we will also have the Truck Series guys to come and participate.”

    “And it’s a competition so all the guys that are up on it trying to advance to the final table are into it,” Busch said. “Mohegan Sun does a phenomenal job to keep it on time. The VIP meet and greet beforehand is very relaxed and effective for the sponsors involved. It’s just a matter of building it up and that’s my job to go and recruit more of the celebrity players. It’s a lot of fun to just sit down, play poker and go at it.”

    “I know I’ll be up on the wheel and on the table.”

    Both Busch and Driscoll spoke passionately that the best part of the whole poker playing evening, however, was that wounded warriors and veterans attended the event, rubbing shoulders with drivers and other celebrities as part of their therapeutic healing process.

    “It’s a lot of fun too with our veterans that come out,” Busch said. “You will see our wounded guys jumping in and playing and it gives them a chance to get into an environment that is relaxed and safe. We’re all doing it for a good cause and it’s for them. We see the smile on their faces and they are energized to be engaged in the tournament.”

    “We will have a lot of veterans at the event. That’s what it’s about,” Driscoll said, echoing Busch’s comments. “We try to bring a lot of guys with PTSD. I don’t want to announce it, but we do. It’s part of our therapy that we have with NASCAR that we bring them to the track. It’s important for them to experience everyday life experiences and to feel special.”

    “To sit there and to talk instead of being shut in at home is really important,” Driscoll continued. “So, we’ll have veterans at the table. They might not announce themselves but I promise they will be there.”

    While both Busch and Driscoll have been dedicated to bringing troops to the race track every week, Busch, as he left the media center to prepare for NASCAR’s first practice at Pocono Raceway, gave the event a new tag line.

    “Instead of troops to the track, it’s troops to the table.”

    For more information on the troops to the table event, visit www.nascar.com/foundation.

  • Monica Palumbo Primed and Ready for Her Favorite Event NASCAR After The Lap™

    Monica Palumbo Primed and Ready for Her Favorite Event NASCAR After The Lap™

    For the fifth year in a row, NASCAR After The Lap™ will be back in Las Vegas during champion’s week and at least one of the co-hosts Monica Palumbo is primed and ready for her ‘favorite’ event.

    Palumbo, former Miss Sprint Cup and current reporter for NASCAR Race Hub on Fox Sports 1, will be sharing the hosting duties with Marty Smith of ESPN. Palumbo will be handling the fans in the crowd, while Smith will be managing the drivers on stage.

    The event this year will take place on Thursday, December 5th at 5:00 PM at the Pearl Palms Concert Theater inside the Palms Casino Hotel.

    “I actually worked NASCAR After The Lap™ twice already and it’s my favorite event because the guys are so loose and it’s an intimate setting,” Palumbo said. “You can see it on nascar.com but it’s not televised so I feel like it’s a little bit more special.”

    “The drivers are really showing off their personalities that you don’t necessarily get to see throughout the season,” Palumbo continued. “It’s just one of my favorite events.”

    Palumbo advised that her role at the event will be one of liaison between the crowd, sponsors and the drivers, however, the emphasis from her perspective is indeed on the fans in this unique event.

    “It’s a very fan-friendly event and that’s one thing NASCAR is really big on,” Palumbo said. “It’s about the fans first.”

    “They are going to have notecards so the audience can submit their questions in advance,” Palumbo continued. “Then I’ll go through them and pick out the questions to be asked.”

    “So, I’ll be out there taking questions from the audience and making sure everybody has a good time.”

    Palumbo is also primed and ready for the sweepstakes and giveaways that accompany the NASCAR After The Lap™ event. This year, fans can win an all-inclusive VIP trip to Las Vegas for the event, trips to either the 2014 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte or the 2014 Ford Ecoboost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, as well as the grand prize, a 2014 Ford F-150 Tremor.

    “I’m really excited about the big sweepstakes,” Palumbo said. “They’re giving away a 2014 Ford Tremor, which is pretty awesome.”

    “Coca Cola and Ford are both giving away tickets to the Coca Cola 600 and the Ford Champions Week for 2014,” Palumbo continued. “So, the sweepstakes winners will be there and they will also have a shot to win a car.”

    “We’ll be doing that in the audience as well, which is pretty cool to get a free car.”

    Palumbo is also primed and ready to get to Las Vegas, a place that she assesses as ‘perfect’ for this type of fan-interactive post-season event.

    “Vegas itself just equals celebration to me,” Palumbo said. “So, I feel like it is a fun event.”

    “Everybody is so relaxed,” Palumbo continued. “The season is over and it’s a time for celebration.”

    So, who is Palumbo predicting will be in the champion’s seat for the event and at the head table come banquet time?

    “It’s definitely down to Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth now and we know how well they are both running,” Palumbo said. “We know that Jimmie is so great at Phoenix so it’s really a toss-up between the two.”

    “I can’t even bet on either one,” Palumbo continued. “I’m ready to put my money down on one but I can’t because I don’t want to lose.”

    “Everybody is on pins and needles because we know Jimmie can do it obviously,” Palumbo said. “But Matt Kenseth is really giving him a run for his money.”

    “I think the fans love seeing that and the two drivers are definitely keeping it exciting.”

    Palumbo is also primed and ready for the NASCAR After The Lap™ event because of where the proceeds go, helping individuals, children and families in need through the NASCAR Foundation, a nonprofit charitable organization.

    “The tickets are only $20 and all the money, one hundred percent of the proceeds, goes to the NASCAR Foundation, which is unreal,” Palumbo said. “It’s probably one of the best charity events where all of the drivers are together in a relaxed way, cutting up with each other, joking about incidents that have happened during the year, and some have even gotten up and danced.”

    “It’s a great event to get the drivers out of their element,” Palumbo continued. “There is not an event like this throughout the whole season.”

    “This is a one of a kind,” Palumbo said. “You might have the drivers together for media day but they are so focused on that race.”

    “This is the end of the season and they can all breathe,” Palumbo continued. “They’re all ready to have a good time, hang out with the fans and answer their questions.”

    “There is just nothing like it.

    Palumbo is not alone in her enthusiasm for the NASCAR After The Lap™ event.

    “Celebrating its fifth consecutive season, NASCAR After The Lap has evolved into one of the most talked about events of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion’s Week™ and provides two long-standing partners, Ford and Coca-Cola, a valuable platform to connect with our brand-loyal fan base,” Norris Scott, NASCAR vice president of marketing, said. “It is an event unlike any other in sports that gives our fans the chance to see the drivers with their helmets off and their guard down.”

    “Over the last five years as event sponsor, Ford has enjoyed some remarkable and very unpredictable moments with our NASCAR drivers,” Tim Duerr, motorsports marketing manager for Ford Racing, said. “The NASCAR after the Lap Sweepstakes continues to provide Ford with a great avenue to engage with fans by offering them a chance to not only win a trip out to Las Vegas, but also an opportunity to go home with a brand-new 2014 Ford F150 Tremor.”

    “This sponsorship delivers results to Ford on many levels.”

    “As a long-time partner, Coca-Cola is proud to celebrate the 2013 season with the stars of NASCAR at this year’s NASCAR After The Lap,” Ben Reiling, director of motorsports for Coca-Cola North America Group, said. “In our fifth year as an event sponsor, we are offering fans a stellar experience to interact directly with members of our Coca-Cola Racing Family and a chance to win a trip to our marquee event, the Coca-Cola 600.”

    “We’re looking forward to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion’s Week and it’s definitely going to be a wild ride.”

    For more information or to purchase tickets, fans can visit  www.NASCARafterthelap.com.

    For fans unable to attend in person, NASCAR.com will offer a live stream of the event.

     

     

  • NASCAR Philanthropy Center Stage During Vegas Championship Week

    NASCAR Philanthropy Center Stage During Vegas Championship Week

    [media-credit name=”Gary Buchanan” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]While the spot light is on new NASCAR champ Brad Keselowski and the other Chase drivers during the Vegas Championship Week celebrations, the generosity and caring of NASCAR has also taken center stage throughout the festivities.

    First-time Chase contender and MWR racer Martin Truex Jr. spoke passionately about his Foundation work, especially in light of Super Storm Sandy, which deeply affected his home state of New Jersey.

    “My family made out very well for the situation and the area they are in,” Truex said. “They are a mile from people that lost their homes and had serious flooding and a very bad time of it.”

    “They were very fortunate and all my close friends and family didn’t have major problems which is great,” Truex continued. “But at the same time, a lot of people in the community are struggling.”

    “Places where I grew up at the Jersey shore are in shambles,” Truex said. “We’re trying to do all we can do to help.”

    “My Foundation has set up a fund and we’ve raised over $150,000 up until this week,” Truex continued. “We’re already starting to disburse those funds to help families and those who really need it.”

    “We took a truckload of supplies up there two weeks ago and we’re getting ready to take another one up,” Truex said. “We’re just trying to do all we can to try to get those people on their feet because it’s been a tough time for them.”

    Some of Truex’s most favorite memories have been at the Jersey shore, which has led to his passion to help. Yet, as much as he wants to return home, he also dreads seeing the destruction.

    “I haven’t been back and I won’t be until Christmas,” Truex said. “We just always went to the beach and did a lot of fishing in the bay.”

    “There are a lot of landmarks there that I remember that are probably not there anymore.”

    One of the most memorable philanthropic moments came during the annual NASCAR/NMPA Myers Brothers Award luncheon when Jeff Gordon was honored for his charitable work. Gordon was named the 2012 recipient of the National Motorsports Press Association’s Myers Brother award, one of the most prestigious philanthropic awards in NASCAR.

    “Off the track, he has raised countless funds for charity through his Foundation for pediatric cancer research,” Burt Myers, grandson of Billy Myers, said on presenting the award to Gordon with his brother Jason Myers. “He has traveled to Rwanda to aid with health care as well as partnering with an organization to put it on the side of his race car as a drive to end hunger.”

    Gordon’s voice was choked with emotion as he took the stage to receive the award.

    “Oh boy, this is a surprise,” Gordon said. “I’m having a hard time composing myself.”

    After the conclusion of the luncheon, Gordon reflected further on his award and why he reacted so emotionally.

    “On the race track there is instant gratification but for something like this, to be recognized among your peers at an event that I’ve been coming to for a very long time, it just one, surprised me because I didn’t feel like I had earned that and yet at the same time I’m very proud of the work that we’ve done.”

    “I can tell you that it was a shock,” Gordon continued. “You saw as raw emotions as it gets with me and it was very difficult to keep my composure.”

    “When you’re being recognized by your peers for something you’ve put so much of your heart into, it brings out those emotions,” Gordon said. “It was a huge honor.”

    Gordon shared that the award also meant so much to him because of the people before that he had seen receive it. And he, for one, did not see himself in that same company, at least at this stage in his life and career.

    “Coming to the luncheon for all these years and seeing the others that have been recognized and what they did to achieve that award, I don’t feel like I put myself in that category,” Gordon said. “I thought they made a mistake, but at the same time it was reality.”

    “It means a lot to me,” Gordon continued. “That was just wearing it on my sleeve.”

    Gordon acknowledged that he has definite plans to continue his philanthropic work in the New Year and throughout the 2013 race season. He also said that he would further expand his work with children to other countries in need, in addition to his work in Rwanda.

    “We’ve got some great things happening,” Gordon said. “We’re just gaining momentum where we’re starting to be recognized among elite groups when it comes to pediatric cancer.”

    “So, not just the work that we’re doing but the future work that can be done not just in the US but also in Rwanda,” Gordon continued. “We hope that is something we can duplicate in other countries.”

    “I’ve met people who do great work in other countries and that has intrigued me,” Gordon said. “Now that we’ve done work in Rwanda, I want to look at doing more.”

    “I’m interested in other countries that have the same kind of potential with a structured government and a great need.”

    “There are many places that need it,” Gordon said. “We try to do everything we do right.”

    “Once we feel like we are in place and have our feet solidly on the ground, then we take the next steps to take it to the next level.”

    Gordon advised that more announcements about his charitable endeavors in the New Year will be revealed shortly.

    “We’re not allowed to announce something that we have coming out in January but I’m very excited about it,” Gordon said. “It’s not an award but being tied to a children’s book that is going to benefit our Foundation.”

    “It’s something that I’m proud that they looked at us as a recipient of that.”

    On a lighter note, another bit of philanthropy during the Championship week celebrations occurred at NASCAR’s After the Lap. This wide-open, tell-all event hosted by ESPN reported Jamie Little was sold out at Planet Hollywood, with all proceeds benefitting the NASCAR Foundation.

    “The first year we did this, it was free to see what kind of feedback and turnout we would get,” After the Lap host Jamie Little said. “When it became such a great event, we started charging $20, with all the proceeds benefitting the NASCAR Foundation, a non-profit that raises funds for children’s charities all over the nation.”

    One final moment of charity came when, after a tremendous amount of coaxing from fellow Chase drivers and the After the Lap fans, Denny Hamlin once again reprised his version of the Dougie dance that he had done during driver intros at Bristol earlier in the season. With his busting of moves, Hamlin earned $2,500 for the Foundation that bears his name.

     

  • Jamie Little Ready to Host Fourth NASCAR After the Lap Event

    Jamie Little Ready to Host Fourth NASCAR After the Lap Event

    [media-credit name=”Photo Credit: nascar.com” align=”alignright” width=”236″][/media-credit]She is a new mom and an intrepid ESPN pit reporter but in just a few weeks Jamie Little will be host as she returns to one of her favorite events, NASCAR After the Lap, in her hometown Las Vegas during Champion’s Week.

    For the fourth year and since its inception, Little will be trying her best to herd the NASCAR champion and the other top 12 cats during the special event, which serves as a prequel to the 2012 Sprint Cup Series Awards banquet.

    “I have been the host since it was created,” Little said. “NASCAR was trying something new when they brought the championship to Las Vegas and they asked me to host it.”

    “And we hit on something and people just really liked it and the drivers really enjoyed themselves,” Little continued. “It was a hit and I can’t believe it’s already the fourth time.”

    Little said that although the venue is new, this year at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino, she is preparing for what always is a spontaneous, fly by the seat of your pants evening. And she does her best to loosen up the tongues of the driver with her questions, from the quiet drivers to those that need no encouragement.

    “We try to set it up to elicit some comedy from the drivers but with some of them, it doesn’t take much to get them going,” Little said. “There is going to be some, shall we say, flash back photos from their high school days.”

    “So, that will be fun.”

    “The fun of the show is that it’s unscripted,” Little said. “And all I can say that with Clint Bowyer back in the Chase that will be a big hit because he just takes over and pokes fun at every other driver.”

    “So, we’ll have some fun with Clint,” Little continued. “He is a loose cannon and has ADD as well.”

    “I will use him to try to pull out things from Dale Junior, Matt Kenseth and the guys that are a little more quiet.”

    Little acknowledged that she often does not have to look far for roasting inspirations, especially given her relationship with many of the drivers in the Chase. For example, she already has a bit of fodder to use on the current point’s leader in the Chase hunt.

    “Obviously I’m covering the whole Chase so there are things during the final ten races that I’ll jot down and bring up so we can laugh about it,” Little said. “For instance, last week I ran back to interview Brad Keselowski right when he crawled out of his car.”

    “So, he gets out of his race car and his phone falls out of his pocket,” Little continued. “And I’m like, ‘Did you just have your phone with you in the car? And he picked it up and said, ‘Of course I did,’

    “And I looked at the screen and it was on Twitter.”

    “So obviously he’s not tweeting from the car but he’s reading Twitter under all the caution laps that we had last week,” Little said. “So, things like that, we can bring up and have fun with.”

    Little has had too many favorite moments in the NASCAR After the Lap event to count, but her highlight was a moment that happened just last year.

    “One thing that really stands out was Jeff Gordon break dancing,” Little said. “That was a highlight.”

    “It was peer pressure from the other drivers to get him to do it,” Little continued. “He did not want to do it but he came out and broke it down.”

    While every moment of the event is interesting, Little said that what makes the event so special is that it is completely candid.

    “These guys sit up there with a beer bottle in hand and it’s like having a fire side chat with the drivers,” Little said. “You might hear some swear words or some salty language but it’s just a casual, fun, ‘have at it’ time with the guys.”

    “We’ve been through 36 races and all the fans have seen them interviewed, but this is so different,” Little continued. “They are up close and personal with the guys, watching them all interact.”

    “These fans are so connected with their drivers and to see the drivers interact with each other is so much fun.”

    Although the drivers are usually so scheduled, with multiple appearances at track, Little said that they absolutely enjoy the NASCAR After the Lap event because it is so relaxed, quick and fun.

    “I think they really do get into it,” Little said. “The guys get to drive their race cars down the Vegas strip and they always have funny stories after that.”

    “Then they come to us  and there is a green room where they are all together,” Little continued. “There is beer flowing and they are already busting on each other at that point.”

    “This event is just fun for them to kick back, make fun of each other and laugh at each other and themselves,” Little said. “They don’t have to be on guard and be so careful about mentioning all their sponsors.”

    Little also enjoys being able to let her own hair down a bit during NASCAR After the Lap, giving herself a chance to leave the seriousness of the racing season behind.

    “It’s fun for me to show another side of my personality, especially being loose and funny,” Little said. “I’m out of the fire suit and just get to be me.”

    “I show our relationship and this is a good time for them to poke fun at me as well,” Little continued. “It’s just all in good fun.”

    “That’s special for me as well.”

    Little said another special aspect about NASCAR After the Lap is that it takes place right in her home town, giving her a bit of a chance to mix her family with friends and NASCAR racing. This year, however, she has plans right after the event involving one of NASCAR’s most recognizable names.

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    “Since I’m here in my hometown, it is special,” Little said. “It’s fun to mix family and friends.”

    “My brother-in-law is marrying Danica Patrick’s sister on December 1st so I have to get on the plane right after the event and go to a wedding this year.”

    An aspect of NASCAR After the Lap that has really taken off is the interaction on social media.

    “We saw that last year how Facebook and Twitter were so involved in the event,” Little said. “And this year there will be an element where the funniest tweets of the year by the drivers will be showcased.”

    “So, we will really be incorporating social media for sure.”

    The event will also be streamed live on NASCAR.com and will be broadcast live on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

    Finally, Little acknowledged that the event was special for two other reasons, one that it benefits charity and the other that she gets to give away some really cool prizes.

    “The first year we did this, it was free to see what kind of feedback and turnout we would get,” Little said. “When it became such a great event, we started charging $20, with all the proceeds benefitting the NASCAR Foundation, a non-profit that raises funds for children’s charities all over the nation.”

    “There is also a sweepstakes where one fan gets the chance to win a 2013 Ford F150 and an all expense paid trip to Las Vegas to the event,” Little continued. “Every year, it’s so much fun to meet that fan, bring them up on stage, they get to meet a driver and get their pictures taken.”

    “Then, to see someone win a truck is awesome,” Little continued. “It’s always fun giving stuff away.”

    “Everyone’s a fan of that.”

    NASCAR After the Lap will be held on Thursday, November 29th from 5:00 to 6:30 PM at PH LIVE located in the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. For more information about NASCAR After the Lap Sponsored by Ford and Coca-Cola or to purchase tickets, visit www.NASCARafterthelap.com.

  • Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award Finalists Announced

    Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award Finalists Announced

    The NASCAR foundation announced it’s four finalists for its humanitarian award today. The Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award honors the passionate commitment that NASCAR Foundation Chairwoman Betty Jane France has demonstrated on behalf of charities and community works throughout her life.

    [media-credit name=”Kyle Ocker” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]The four finalists were Patty Aber of Bridge of Books Foundation, Jake Bernstein of Autism Speaks, Brenda Doner of PBJ Connections, and Robert Weaver of Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind Foundation.

    The age of the finalists ranges from 17 year old Jake to 83 year old Robert. “I love the age range in this finalist foursome. To see several generations of NASCAR fans represented here really honors our past while also boosting our optimism for the future. Their god, meaningful work has benefited their respective communities greatly. And the fact that they also are NASCAR fans is something our entire industry can look to with pride.”

    Finalists’ volunteered resumes that were showcased on a national scale and fellow Nascar fans across the country will vote to determine who should receive a 2012 Ford Explorer from Ford and $100,000 for the children’s charity of their choice from the NASCAR Foundation. Voting begins today and will run through midnight on Dec. 1st on NASCAR.COM. Betty Jane France will announce the winner during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony at Wynn Las Vegas on Friday, Dec 2nd. and culminating the Nascar sprint cup series Champions week ceremonies in Las Vegas. (Broadcast live on Speed)

    The finalists were introduced to their favorite drivers and were given a commemorative jacket. They presented a video piece that detailed and illustrated their work within the community that brought them to Kansas Speedway. This was the first trip to Kansas for all four finalists.

    It was refreshing to see people that have given so much to others get a special gift back from NASCAR and to be given recognition for their efforts. Nascar foundation spokesperson said this was a hard fought competition and that there was not a single charity presented that was not worthy and deserving.