PIT NOTE #4
Friday, Oct. 10
KYLE LARSON SURPRISES MAKE-A-WISH RECIPIENT – When Kyle Larson held his weekly media availability Friday at Charlotte Motor Speedway, there was an extra dimension to the event. Seventeen-year-old Make-a-Wish recipient Christian Keoleian of Clemmons, N.C., was ushered to Victory Circle, where he was introduced to Larson and posed with the driver in front of his No. 42 Nature’s Made Kids First Vitamins NASCAR Nationwide Series car.
Keoleian, who suffers from a form of sarcoma, said he was surprised and overwhelmed by the meeting.
“I’m feeling really excited, and just….it’s great to be here,” said Keoleian. “I did not expect any of this. This is more than enough.”
What he didn’t yet know was that he would also be accompanying Larson throughout the day, even riding in the truck around the track during driver introductions, as well meeting Larson at Daytona next February.
“It’s nice to be able to do this,” said Larson. “To have Christian here and surprise him and see the smile on his face and enjoy himself … that is what it’s all about. It’s been neat so far and we will get to hang out a little more. Just seeing them excited to be here at Charlotte and come to the race makes you feel really good.”
Target and Nature’s Made, who are launching this new product, have partnered to honor Make-A-Wish dreams come true by donating a portion of the proceeds of every bottle of Nature’s Made Kids First vitamins to the foundation.
“Our first event is here with Christian,” said Mark Walsh, COO of Pharmavite, the parent company of Nature’s Made. “We are just excited to put this together and have a kid like Christian; it’s so great to see him. I think he is overwhelmed but so excited.”
ESPN’S FEINBERG NAMED HONORARY PACE CAR DRIVER – Rich Feinberg, ESPN’s vice president of motorsports, event and studio production, has been named the Honorary Pace car driver for Saturday’s Bank of America 500.
Feinberg was responsible for the launch of NASCAR on ESPN race production prior to the 2007 season. He also manages the production of other aspects of ESPN’s auto racing lineup, including the IndyCar Series and NHRA drag racing. He was also an integral part of event development and television production team for the X-Games.
Feinberg has also managed production of many special projects, including ESPN’s critically acclaimed The Fifty, a look at stock car racing’s history during NASCAR’s 50th anniversary, and NASCAR’s Night in Hollywood, a celebrity salute hosted by actor James Woods.
