DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Highly decorated U.S. Army Colonel Greg Gadson will serve as the Grand Marshal for the Subway Jalapeno 250 Powered By Coca-Cola NASCAR Nationwide Series race on Friday night, July 6 at Daytona International Speedway.
Gadson, who lost both of his legs when he was injured by an Improvised Explosive Device, will give the starting command, “Drivers start your engines,” in the 120-lap, 250-mile race. He’ll also be introduced at the driver’s meeting, participate in the driver introductions and ride in one of the Grand Marshal cars during the pace laps prior to the green flag.
Gadson has served in every major conflict of the past two decades including Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm (Kuwait), Operation Joint Forge (Bosnia-Herzegovina), Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan), and Operation Iraqi Freedom (Iraq). Through his service, Gadson has been awarded the Legion of Merit, three Bronze Star medals and a Purple Heart among nearly two dozen medals and honors. Gadson, has continued to serve on active in various command and staff positions.
Serving as an Honorary Captain, he was a source of inspiration for the New York Giants during their Super Bowl seasons in 2008 and 2012; he most recently appeared in the sci-fi film Battleship.
The stars of NASCAR return to Daytona International Speedway on July 6-7. Tickets to the Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, featuring a special hour-long pre-race concert by multiplatinum, Grammy-winning superstars Train, and the Subway Jalapeno 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series race are available by calling 1-800-PITSHOP or online at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com.
Also, don’t forget to take advantage of our special kids’ pricing. Kids 12 and under receive free general admission tickets to the Subway Jalapeno 250, free admission to the Sprint FANZONE all weekend long, and a $10 ticket for the Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola while supplies last.
Also be sure to catch the Coke Zero 400 live from Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, July 7 at 6:30 p.m. ET on TNT.
Fans can follow NASCAR on Twitter (@NASCAR) and stay up to speed on the latest news by using hashtags #NASCAR and #COKEZERO400. In addition, fans can also stay connected with Daytona International Speedway on Twitter, Facebook and Google+ for all the latest news all season long.
