Kevin Costner makes another NASCAR appearance

photos rights of martintruexjr.com

This just in from Lowe's Motor Speedway, who announced today that actor and musician Kevin Costner and Modern West will perform a pre-race concert for the 25th running of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.

Academy Award winner Costner and his band will perform a 45-minute afternoon concert prior to the Montgomery Gentry show presented by Jim Beam in the infield between Turns 1 and 2. Admission to the concert is free with the purchase of a ticket to the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.

"I have been a longtime NASCAR fan and to be able to perform at Lowe's Motor Speedway, what many consider to be NASCAR's home track, will be an incredible experience," said Kevin Costner. "With all the hype that surrounds the All-Star Race it is sure to be a spectacular night and I am excited to be a part of it."

In addition to the concert Costner will be invited to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers meeting and will serve as a celebrity judge in the Pennzoil Victory Challenge, the annual burnout contest, prior to the start of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star race.

Costner has been a regular presence in the NASCAR community of late as part of his year- long partnership with the sport. Amongst many NASCAR related endeavors, Costner is serving as the 2009 NASCAR Day spokesperson, which will be celebrated this year on May 15th. As part of his role, he is helping The NASCAR Foundation to raise funds for its Family of Charities in an effort to help thousands of children live better lives (for more information visit NASCAR.COM/NASCAR Day).

Tickets for the 25th running of the May 16th NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race start at just $25 and can be purchased online at www.lowesmotorspeedway.com or by calling the speedway ticket office at 1-800-455-FANS.

We were lucky enough to stare at Kevin's best ass-et while he was on the Bass Pro pit box during his honorary crew chief stint in Daytona for Martin Truex Jr last year. Its nice to see someone of his celebrity interested in the sport, and making a great effort to get involved on the charitable side!

Dale Jr Foundation All Star Charity Lineup

From the Dale Jr Foundation Release

In a monthlong push to raise money and awareness for key charities dedicated to helping children, The Dale Jr. Foundation has created three initiatives as part of its All Star Charity Line Up. Through these events, The Dale Jr. Foundation will donate to Make-A-Wish, March of Dimes / Bikers for Babies, The NASCAR Foundation and Speedway Children’s Charities.

Beginning last Saturday at the Southern 500 presented by GoDaddy.com at Darlington Raceway, The Dale Jr. Foundation (TDJF) hosted 50 guests from the Victory Junction Gang Camp, Make-A-Wish and Kid’s Wish Network in a pre-race chalet. The chalet and 50 race tickets was donated to TDJF by GoDaddy.com and included an appearance by Brad Keselowski.

"The Dale Jr. Foundation is committed to helping underprivileged youth achieve their goals," said Kelley Earnhardt, vice president and general manager of JR Motorsports. "Last year, with the help of all of our fans and supporters, we were able to donate to over 250 charitable organizations. This year we want to continue setting the bar higher for our charitable goals. These events surrounding the All-Star race are a great way to start our fundraising efforts for 2009."

As part of the second Foundation initiative, Earnhardt Jr. will donate a custom motorcycle to March of Dimes / Bikers for Babies, a charity in partnership with Dee Snider of the legendary rock band Twisted Sister. The motorcycle, made for Dale Jr. by the team at Orange County Choppers, is currently on display at JR Motorsports. Fans can visit JR Motorsports on May 21st or go to The Foundation website to find out how they can win this one-of-a-kind chopper.

As its third event and complementing the special Foundation paint scheme that Earnhardt Jr. will run on track at the Sprint All Star race on May 16, TDJF is hosting a Dale Jr. All-Star suite to benefit Speedway Children’s Charities and TDJF. Fans who want to give to get closer to the racing action will receive a VIP experience, which includes a pre-race pit tour, an appearance by Earnhardt Jr. and Richard Petty, a seat in the suite to view the race, complimentary food and drinks, and souvenirs.

"This is going to be a really cool time during the All-Star week," said Earnhardt Jr. "In addition to a special Dale Jr. Foundation paint scheme on the hood of the 88, we have a number of charities we’re working with over the next couple of weeks. The Foundation has always been important to my sister, Kelley, and me. Because of that, I am making a matching gift of the donations received from fans through our website."

JR Motorsports has been selling NASCAR Day pins in its retail store in partnership with The NASCAR Foundation. JRM will donate a portion of the proceeds raised from the pins and the funds raised during the NASCAR Day Radio-thon to Make-A-Wish. Fans should call 1-877-515-GIVE and mention The Dale Jr. Foundation to take part in this special event.

The Dale Jr. Foundation has unique collectibles, including many autographed items, to be purchased through its partnership with EBay. All the proceeds from the auctions will benefit the Dale Jr. Foundation.

The Foundation’s website also offers six different selections of hard card memberships. Fans can attain memberships and not only get exclusive Dale Jr. items, but help TDJF further its mission.

The Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma joins the NASCAR Foundation family of charities

Richard Childress who is more than known for his charitable contributions has teamed...get it....teamed...sorry I have had iced tea today...teamed up with The NASCAR Foundation Family of Charities which is comprised of 32 driver, team and track chrities within the motorsports family.

From official press release:

“The Childress Institute is privileged to be a member of The NASCAR Foundation,” said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing and co-founder of the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma. “During our 40 years of racing, we have always been dedicated to the fans. Now we have the opportunity to give back by saving the lives of seriously injured children across the United States.”

Approximately 12,388 children under the age of 18 die each year from traumatic injury. More than 30 trauma centers in the U.S. have closed since 2001 and many others have cut back on the services they offer. In an effort to continue funding the critical research and physicians needed to counter this number one killer of children, The NASCAR Foundation and Childress Institute have teamed up for an online auction to be hosted on NASCAR.COM May 1-18.

“We are excited about partnering with The NASCAR Foundation and joining its Family of Charities,” said J. Wayne Meredith, M.D., director of the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. “The online auction is our first joint project with the foundation, and we greatly appreciate the opportunity this gives us to bring attention to the issue of life-threatening injury, which is by far the leading cause of death among our nation’s children every year. The awareness and funds raised in partnership with The NASCAR Foundation will help us address the need for a better way to treat children and for continued research.”

The auction features a variety of autographed memorabilia including a BB&T crew shirt signed by Clint Bowyer, a Holiday Inn crew shirt signed by Jeff Burton, a DIRECTV crew shirt signed by Casey Mears, a Prilosec OTC crew shirt signed by Jeff Burton and Casey Mears, a GM Goodwrench uniform jacket signed by Richard Childress, a No. 3 10th Anniversary Daytona 500-win die cast car signed by Richard Childress, a BB&T TV panel signed by Richard Childress and Clint Bowyer, a No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil portion of rear quarter panel signed by Kevin Harvick, a No. 07 door number signed by Richard Childress and much more! For a complete list of items, visit WWW.NASCAR.COM/foundation.

We'd like Carl to grow in our garden, but in the meantime...

Carl Edwards, driver of the No. 60 ScottsMiracle-Gro Ford Fusion, tops his fantastic week of PR and will be in the D.C. area tomorrow for a very cool promotion.

Carl will help plant community gardens at the Robert F. Lederer Youth Center Community Garden at 3:00 p.m. tomorrow and encourage fans to take the GroGood pledge to grow a garden for the greater good and provide fresh produce to the hungry.

Additionally, Carl will speak to fans at Richmond International Raceway (RIR) on Saturday (5/2) at 4:45 p.m. to tell them about the four GroGood edible gardens planted at RIR. The gardens are a part of the GroGood Campaign and were created in partnership with The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, Plant a Row for the Hungry and Feeding America. Each garden will provide fresh produce to those at risk for hunger in the Richmond area.

To launch the GroGood pledge campaign, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company will donate 1 million pounds of produce to Feeding America and call on Americans to help double that donation by pledging to grow and donate an additional 1 million pounds of fresh produce to help feed those at risk for hunger. Fans can get involved and take the GroGood pledge by visiting the ScottsMiracle-Gro display adjacent to the hospitality pavilion during race weekend or by visit www.GroGood.com.

A Dog's Vest Friend

Here is a chance to support Greg Biffle, Tony Stewart and a fantastic charity. You will also have an opportunity to split the raffle pot. In this economy, that is hard to pass up!

Dogs’ Vest Friends, Too

CHARLOTTE (April 29, 2009) – What do Greg Biffle, Tony Stewart and Susie Jean have in common? They are K9 dogs “vest friends”. Greg and Tony have partnered to help Susie provide bullet-resistant and knife-resistant vests for K9 officers located throughout the United States. Through grassroots efforts, Susie has already provided 317 vests to police dogs in 34 states and she’s been dubbed “Dog’s Vest Friend”. Now, Greg and Tony are urging their fans as well as supporters of our officers & their K9s to support this Charity Splits raffle starting April 30, 2009 and concluding June 14, 2009.

Tony Stewart fans may recall that last summer his foundation awarded a sizable grant to Vest ‘N P.D.P. providing 40 bullet-resistant & knife-resistant vests for all 30 dogs of the Indiana State Police K-9 Unit and 10 additional dogs from Georgia, New Mexico, North Carolina and Minnesota. Drawing significant media coverage, Tony presented the vests to the Indiana State Police during the Allstate 400 Brickyard. Tony invited Greg to partner with him in this effort to potentially provide vests for all those in need nationwide. “It’s a great fit for our Foundation since we support animal welfare groups across the country” said Biffle.

The publicity highlighting Susie’s work sparked considerable interest and she found her one-person shop inundated with requests from law enforcement agencies located throughout the U.S. Today, Susie has 175 K9 ‘officers’ in 37 states waiting on vests. Departments rarely have allocations for purchasing these custom-made vests, ranging from $1,200 to $1,500, for each dog. Susie expressed, “My efforts are a small price to pay for our police dogs that protect their human partner as well as our communities.”

Greg and Tony are asking their fans to “pay a small price” and team together in support of Vest ‘N P.D.P. and our brave law enforcement officers – two-legged and four. To participate, log onto either driver’s foundation Web site or directly on to www.vest4K9.com.

Don’t delay as the winner will be announced June 14!

To learn more about Vest ‘N P.D.P. visit Susie’s web site, www.vestnpdp.com. To catch up with Greg and Tony and their philanthropic work, visit www.gregbifflefoundation and www.tonystewartfoundation.org.

Turtles Coming to Lake Norman in Support of LifeSpan and Speedway Children's Charities

Turtles are invading Lake Norman for LifeSpan and Speedway Children's Charities Turbo Turtle Race Saturday, May 9. The race will be held at Midtown Sundries, 18665 Harborside Drive, Cornelius, N.C., from 2 - 5 p.m. Festivities will take place at 3:30 p.m. with live entertainment and children's activities for the entire family.

In exchange for a $5 donation to the LifeSpan and Speedway Children's Charities Turbo Turtle Race, attendees may adopt one turtle. Turtle Family Packs (six turtles) can be adopted for $25 or a Nest of Turtles (25 turtles) for $100. All turtles adopted will race in Lake Norman on a closed circuit race course and have a chance to win lots of great prizes.

"Speedway Children's Charities is always looking for unique ways to get families together to have a good time while supporting a great cause," said Marcus Smith, president and general manager of Lowe's Motor Speedway and president of Speedway Children's Charities Charlotte Chapter.

"We're proud to partner with LifeSpan to put 10,000 toy turtles in the water for what could be the most unusual race ever during the Coca-Cola 600 Month of May."

Prizes include Lowe's Motor Speedway race tickets and pre-race pit passes for NASCAR events in October, a standard family suite stay at the new Great Wolf Lodge in Concord, N.C., two VIP box tickets to the Def Leppard concert featuring Poison and special guest Cheap Trick and many more.

For more information, contact Nancy McEneny at nmceneny@lifespanservices.org or to purchase turtles please visit www.LakeNormanTurtleRace.com

For more information on Speedway Children's Charities and our upcoming events, visit www.speedwaycharities.org or contact Amanda Hollingsworth at (704) 455-4426.

About LifeSpan
LifeSpan transforms the lives of children and adults with developmental disabilities by providing education, employment and enrichment opportunities that promote inclusion, choice and family supports and other best practices.

About Speedway Children's Charities
The mission of Speedway Children's Charities remains true to the ideals it was founded upon in 1982: To care for children in educational, financial, social and medical need in order to help them lead productive lives. SCC provides funding for hundreds of non-profit organizations throughout the nation that meet the direct needs of children. Our vision is that every child has the same opportunities no matter what obstacle they are facing.

Obsession with Breasts Hit a Mature Level this Weekend in Talladega

The NASCAR Foundation has announced that NASCAR Day will "Go Pink" through a joint partnership with FOX Sports Supports and Susan G. Komen for the Cure April 24-26 during the Aaron's Talladega Dream Weekend.

Through the partnership between The NASCAR Foundation, FOX Sports Supports and Komen for the Cure, a portion of the net proceeds raised through the program will benefit Komen for the Cure, supporting its promise to save lives end breast cancer forever. Specifically, the money raised will support the Susan G. Komen Scholarship Fund – a fund specifically designed for children whose mothers have lost their battle against cancer.

In 2009, FOX Sports has aligned with Komen for the Cure through the FOX Sports Supports program as one of their benefiting organizations. NASCAR on FOX personalities will don their pink apparel and show their support by wearing their NASCAR Day pins throughout the race weekend. FOX Sports launched FOX Sports Supports last year to raise awareness, provide financial assistance and spur volunteerism for worthy health-related charities.

Volunteers from Komen's North Central Alabama Affiliate will be out at the track Friday-Sunday collecting $5 donations. In return for the donation, fans will receive a collectible NASCAR Day lapel pin. The NASCAR Foundation will also have commemorative NASCAR Day pink t-shirts available for a limited time at the NASCAR.COM Superstore and at The NASCAR Foundation booth at Talladega Superspeedway. The t-shirts are available now online, and fans are encouraged to wear them to the track on race weekend. Half of the net proceeds from these efforts will benefit the Susan G. Komen Scholarship Fund. Source:nascar.com

The fashionistas go pink every October to walk in our local Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. I have actually been a chair for the past two years and have the honor to meet some great people that have won the battle and have now focused their energies to work really hard to end this battle. We strive that our children will not know the word cancer when they are our age. We are excited for NASCAR and this awareness campaign! We hope that you will support this and other NASCAR Day activities. Just think it could be YOUR dollar that cures this disease!

Jimmie Johnson loves your Mom

Nothing says "I love you Mom" like a personalized Mothers Day card from Jimmie Johnson. You can bid on your chance to win one of six personalized Happy Mothers Day cards from Jimmie, as part of Aprils #1 Fan Experience. Also up for grabs is a Die Cast signed by Jimmie and Chad Knaus, Jimmie's personal champagne bottle from his 2007 Texas win, a Phoenix Victory Lane hat and more. This auction ends on April 11th. You can view the items here. All proceeds go towards the Jimmie Johnson Foundation.

Marcos Ambrose, cute, talented and a philanthropist!

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Marcos Ambrose, driver of the #47 Little Debbie Toyota will wear a helmet donated by Impact and painted especially by American Nick Pastura in the Goody’s Fast Relief 500 in Martinsville and the Samsung 500 at the Texas Motor Speedway on April 5, 2009.

Ambrose has been campaigning fund raising and awareness for the volunteer fire brigade that was pushed to the limits during recent devastating Victorian bush fires and will auction the “one off” autographed race helmet.

The auction will consist of Ambrose’s race-worn helmet as well as a Yarra Glen Volunteer Fire Brigade outer jacket, which was worn by Steve Teear during the recent fires and personally signed by all the brigade members. Steve Teear is a member of the Yarra Glen Volunteer Fire Brigade, which is part of the Victorian Country Fire Authority (CFA).The money raised from the auction will go towards the purchase of a new 3000-liter four-wheel drive water tanker for them.

The helmet will be personally autographed by Ambrose with any message requested by the winning bidder.

Fans will be able to register and bid through http://www.marcosambrose.com/ with the auction closing at midnight Monday April 6, Australian Eastern Time (10am ET Monday, April 6).

Denny kicking it Southside in April

We received an email today asking how we got the opportunities to meet and hang out with our NASCAR peeps. We could give plenty of advice but the best way for an outsider looking in is to get involved with charitable events sponsored by drivers.

Here is one for yall's calender. If you will be in town for the Richmond race on April 30th, Denny Hamlin is hosting The Short Track Showdown at Southside Speedway. This will benefit the Denny Hamlin Foundation and last year they raised $50,000. Also, attending will be Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, Joey Lagano and spotter Curtis Markham in a 175 lap Limited Late Model race.

"I was thrilled with what we were able to do last year -- it was a great event for a great cause and this year it is our hope to double that donation," Hamlin said. "It means a lot that Tony, Kyle, Joey and Curtis are committed to helping me raise money for my foundation and I know we all want to put on a great show for the fans."

The Denny Hamlin Foundation was created in 2008 to aid in raising awareness and funding for Cystic Fibrosis research and treatment, as well support other not for profit corporations that focus on aiding children with debilitating illnesses.

Online ticket sales are exclusively at www.dennyhamlinfoundation.org. All proceeds from ticket sales, the silent auction and raffles will benefit the Denny Hamlin Foundation.
For more information, click here

Laps around the world's fastest half-mile to benefit a great charity

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to take a lap around the world's fastest half-mile? If you are going to Bristol, you can participate in the Richard Petty Driving Experience this Friday, March 20th from 7pm-11pm and help out a great cause!

For $149 per person, you will dress in a firesuit and take 3 ride-along laps around one of NASCAR's most popular tracks, Bristol Motor Speedway. 50% of the proceeds will benefit the Bristol chapter of Speedway Children's Charities.

Anyone interested in taking part in the Ride-Alongs should pre-register at 1-800-BE-PETTY.

Speedway Children's Charities provide funding for hundreds of non-profit organizations throughout the nation that meet the direct needs of children. Their vision is that every child has the same opportunities no matter what obstacle they are facing.

A lucky penny and a beautiful story

If you aren't familiar of Wessa Miller, please get out your tissues. Wessa Miller is a 16 year old girl who lives in Phyllis, KY. In 1998, Wessa, then 6 diagnosed with spina bifida gave Dale Earnhardt Sr a lucky penny when she met him thanks to the Make a Wish Foundation. Affixing the penny to the dashboard himself, Dale Earnhardt won the race that day, his 20th attempt at the Daytona 500.

Through the efforts of the NASCAR Angels television program and working with The NASCAR Foundation, Motor Racing Outreach (MRO), and the Pennies For Wessa Fund, the Miller family will return to Bristol next week. The NASCAR Angels television program has arranged to bring Wessa Miller and her family to Bristol Motor Speedway on March 21 to film her as part of a ‘Heart of NASCAR’ segment to be featured in an upcoming episode.

David Poole covers NASCAR for the Charlotte Observer and hosts "The Morning Drive" weekdays from 7 to 11 a.m. weekdays on Sirius NASCAR Radio. The Pennies For Wessa Fund was started by David in an effort to assist the needs of the Miller family. From Paddock Talk interview: "In working on an anniversary story from Dale Earnhardt's Daytona 500 victory in 1998, something made me wonder how the little girl who gave him his lucky penny before that race was doing 10 years later," said Poole. "What I found was the Wessa Miller and her parents, Booker and Juanita, deal with day-to-day challenges that most of us can't even dream of. The Millers meet those challenges by being a wonderful, loving family with deep faith in God and in each other. As soon as my story was published, people started asking if there was anything they could do to help the Millers, so we set up Pennies for Wessa to provide that opportunity."

If you go to the Pennies for Wessa website, there is an online auction that you can bid on NASCAR signed memorabilia. To read David's touching story about Wessa and her family and the story of that lucky penny click here and here.

Mike Skinner Round Up is tonight!!

With no race this week, we found ourselves a little saddened and not sure of what to do with ourselves. Fortunately for us, we live in Daytona Beach and the Toyota Skinner Round Up is tonight in the FanZone at Daytona International Speedway.

We will be surrounded by many celebrities, including jazz & blues superstar Stacy Mitchhart, NFL star Randy Moss, NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly, award-winning singer/songwriter Edwin McCain, daredevil Robby Knievel, Betty Jane France, and NASCAR drivers A. J. Allmendinger, Boris Said, Rick Crawford, Ron Hornaday and Steve Park.

Amazingly enough, admission is only $10, children 12 and under are free. It includes “A Taste of Daytona,” a food extravaganza presented by area restaurants and there is a auction.

We will blog about our experience and post pictures tomorrow so come back and visit us!

If you find yourself in the Daytona area tonight, here is the schedule & tickets are available at Gate 40.
6:00-7:30 PM - Gatorade Victory Lane Photos With Mike and the #5 Exide Toyota Tundra
7:00-9:00 PM - Silent Auction
9:00 PM - Celebrity Introductions and Live Auction!
7:30 – 11:00 PM - Live Concert With Jazz/Blues Entertainer Stacy Mitchhart

All proceeds benefit the Council on Aging, Greyhound Pets of America, Halifax Health Foundation, Second Harvest Food Bank and Concerned Citizens for Animal Welfare.)

Here's your chance to be a Grand Marshall!

Photo rights of The Jimmie Johnson Foundation

What is that one thing that you have always dreamed of doing? The first thing that comes to my mind is to do the coin toss at the start of a Florida Gators game. As long as I have known Darlynn, to deliver the most famous words in racing is on her bucket list. She is certain that one day she will get to be the Grand Marshall at a NASCAR race.

For a pretty penny, she can have that opportunity. We were checking out The Jimmie Johnson Foundation and came across an auction on eBay which ends in 2 days.

If you win this auction, you have the opportunity to deliver the most famous words in racing, “Gentlemen, Start Your Engines!” at The Jimmie Johnson Foundation 150 on Thursday, April 16, 2009 at Phoenix International Raceway. Wait, that's not all. Once you deliver the command, you will get into the Pace Car, driven by Jimmie Johnson and lead the field to the start of the race. This auction is quite the package and worth bidding on, click here for all of the details.

The Jimmie Johnson Foundation is dedicated to assisting children, families and communities throughout the United States. By donating to needy and worthy causes, the foundation will strive to help everyone, particularly children, to pursue their dreams.

In honor of Bike Week, heres your chance to win a Kasey Kahne Orange County Chopper

Here is your chance to win a custom built Orange County Chopper (built for Kasey Kahne) for only $9! The Kasey Kahne Foundation and the Sonoma chapter of Speedway Children's Charities will hold a "Kasey Kahne Custom Chopper Raffle" at this years Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway on June 21. One lucky fan will win the custom built red & white OCC bike.

Tickets can be purchased for only $9 each, by calling 800-870-RACE and proceeds from the raffle will be distributed to qualified youth groups in Sonoma County.

Bass Pro Shops founder supports Childress Institute

Johnny Morris, founder and CEO of Bass Pro Shops, is supporting the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma. Wake Forrest Baptist Medical Center announced a $1 million commitment from Morris.

The Childress Institute’s mission is to significantly improve survival rates of children nationwide who suffer serious injuries and reduce the lifelong impact of traumatic injuries in children. Richard Childress and his family have provided $5 million to the Medical Center to initiate the project. Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and the Childress family are working with corporations and individuals to raise awareness and an additional $20 million to establish the Institute’s endowment fund.

Bass Pro is the main sponsor for the #1 Chevrolet driven by Martin Truex, Jr in the Sprint Cup Series.

Scott Speed and Michael Annett win Cook Off in Vegas

Michael Annett and Scott Speed teamed to win the Fourth Annual Raybestos® Rookie Cooking Challenge Thursday afternoon at ESPN Zone Las Vegas. Annett and Speed prepared a tasty dish of elbow macaroni with meat sauce, garlic onion and mozzarella cheese.

Other drivers competing in the event were Max Papis, Scott Lagasse Jr., John Wes Townley and Justin Allgaier. The event was judged by members of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Las Vegas.

“That was a lot of fun,” Annett said. “We love doing anything we can for kids
and something fun like that just makes it even better.”

Annett drives the No. 15 Pilot Travel Centers Toyota in the NASCAR Nationwide Series while Speed begins his rookie year in Sprint Cup in the No. 82 Red Bull Toyota

All drivers who participated in the cooking competition were assisted by members of the ESPN Zone Culinary Team, led by chef Chris Gagen. Once the meals were prepared, each child from the Boys and Girls Clubs sampled the dishes and their applause determined the overall winner. Following the contest, drivers and kids played games in ESPN Zone’s interactive Sports Arena.

Raybestos brand Brakes has been the title sponsor of NASCAR’s rookie program since 1998.

Three things I love? Macaroni, the Boys and Girls Club and Michael Annett! These off track charity events and unique ideas continue to cultivate positive branding for the sport and raise money and awareness to many great causes.

While we are on the subject of food, one of the newer NASCAR cookbooks on the shelves is Pit Stop in a Southern Kitchen written by Martha Earnhardt and Carol Gordon Bickford. That's June Bug's grandma and Jeff's mom to me and you.

Speaking of things that are yummy...

A chance to ride along with your favorite driver in Atlanta!

Speedway Children’s Charities is auctioning off a Ride Of A Lifetime Drivers Auction. It is a chance to take a lap with your favorite NASCAR driver! Click here to visit their eBay auction site. The winning bidder will have the opportunity to ride in the passenger seat of the parade lap Corvette during driver introductions for the Kobalt 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday, March 8, 2009. Prior to the ride along you & a guest will receive a cold pit tour and the opportunity to take photos in your driver’s pit stall. Winning bid does not include tickets, transportation or lodging.

I have been blessed experiences I have had with NASCAR over the past few years but riding in the parade car is one thing I have never done. This is a great opportunity to meet your favorite driver and do something that many people will never experience. You better hurry up if you want a chance at this since the auction ends over the weekend! And ladies....at this time, Kasey Kahne and Carl Edwards have not been bid on.

3rd Annual Toyota Skinner Round Up fo Charity

This is a great event that my radio station WHOG 95.7 the HOG supports. We thought we would share because even during these tough times it is wonderful to give back. If you click on the images they will enlarge so you can see them better!

Partner for Paws Spectacular

Feb 11th, join the NASCAR Foundation for Partner for Paws Spectacular Live and Silent Auction hosted by Greg Biffle and Ryan Newman. This warms my heart and it will be a great chance to get NASCAR memorbilla for a good cause. Click here for ticket information and the listing of silent and live auction items. Proceeds raised from the evening will benefit the Greg Biffle Foundation, Ryan Newman Foundation and Halifax Humane Society of Daytona Beach, three organizations that support improving animal welfare. Upon researching for this article I found a great blog that put a lot of energy compiting a NASCAR pet list from a few years ago.

It is always great to take a second and blog about the drivers like Ryan and Greg that gives back. Over the course of this race season we will feature some of these foundations and all the good that they do.