By Matt Courson, Staff Writer
Comcast NBCUniversal has partnered with Jeffrey Earnhardt and Xtreme Concepts Racing for the next two NASCAR Xfinity Series events at Chicagoland Speedway and Daytona International Speedway to pay tribute to America’s military.
Earnhardt’s start at Chicagoland will mark just the second start for the team. Xtreme Concepts debuted at Texas Motor Speedway earlier this season where the fourth generation Earnhardt finished eighth.
Earnhardt’s No. 81 Toyota will be wrapped in a patriotic red, white, and blue color scheme.
“I’m really excited to be partnering with Comcast and the military on the Comcast Salute to Service Toyota for Chicagoland Speedway,” Earnhardt said in a press release. “Our race team at Xtreme Concepts Racing feels as though we can’t ever do enough for the men and women that protect us and it’s awesome to be partnered with a company like Comcast that feels the same.
“We will give the fans at Chicagoland Speedway and watching on NBCSN something awesome to cheer for. Hopefully, they watch us park it in victory lane.”
Comcast will connect NASCAR with the local military community by distributing over 100 grandstand tickets to Chicago area service members and their families.
Along with Earnhardt’s patriotic scheme at Chicagoland, the names of active military units and installations will replace the traditional Xfinity windshield banners next month at Daytona International Speedway.
“At Comcast NBCUniversal, our sustained commitment to our nation’s military community has never been stronger,” Brigadier General (Ret.) Carol Eggert, senior vice president of military and veteran affairs at Comcast NBCUniversal, said in a press release. “We truly value the tremendous contributions of those who serve our country and wanted to recognize them and their families in a special way as we celebrate our country’s independence.”
Comcast will be hosting a fan event at a local Xfinity store in Joliet, Illinois (2802 Plainfield Rd) at 4:00 p.m. CT. In addition, Earnhardt will be in attendance from 6:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series event at Chicagoland Speedway takes place on Saturday, June 29th at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN. Live coverage of NASCAR Xfinity Series action from Daytona International Speedway begins on Friday, July 5th at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.