Commanding Officer Daniel G. Straub of Soon-To-Be Commissioned USS Montgomery to Award Freedom Trophy to GEICO 500 Winner

Crew of Ship, Named for Alabama Capital & to be Commissioned in August, Will be at Talladega Superspeedway

TALLADEGA, AL –The Freedom Trophy, one of Talladega Superspeedway’s unique patriotic traditions, will be presented to the winner of the GEICO 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on Sunday, May 1, by Daniel G. Straub, Commanding Officer of the United States Navy’s soon-to-be commissioned USS Montgomery (LCS-8), currently under construction in Mobile, AL.

In addition to Commander Straub, six sailors from the Pre-Commissioned Unit (PCU) Montgomery, which is scheduled to be commissioned in August, will be in Talladega’s Gatorade Victory Lane to assist in awarding the Freedom Trophy. They include: Commander Wayne Liebold, Command Senior Chief Michelle Hastings, Navigator – Lieutenant Caleb Pavlus, Logistics Supply Chief Jesus Reyes, FC1 Billy Coffelt and HM1 Samir Ihmud. More than 40 other sailors that will be deployed with the Montgomery, will also be in attendance of the GEICO 500 and will witness the race from the grandstands.

The popular Freedom Trophy, which was introduced in the spring of 2014, is presented to each NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winner at NASCAR’s Most Competitive track by a member of one of our country’s five military branches. Talladega is known for its history, tradition, prestige and honor – all of which come with winning a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at the biggest and baddest track on the planet.

Prior to taking command of the Montgomery, Commander Straub’s most recent assignment was as Executive Officer/Commanding Officer in USS Ingraham (FFG 61). While in command he executed a Combating-Transnational Organized Crime deployment in support of Operation Martillo, UNITAS, SIFOREX, & Fourth Fleet Theater Security Cooperation activities. Commander Straub is currently assigned as Commanding Officer of LCS Crew 208 “Paladins.”

Personal awards for Commander Straub, a Womelsdorf, PA native who joined the Navy in 1983, include the Meritorious Service Medal, Navy/Marine Corps Commendation Medal (7 Awards), Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medal (3 Awards), and various command and campaign awards.

The USS MONTGOMERY (LCS-8) is an Independence-Variant Littoral Combat Ship (LCS). The Montgomery will provide warfighting capability and operational flexibility to meet the ever changing maritime environment.  The ship, along with its sister ship the USS Independence, can be configured to support a specific mission package tailored for the tactical environment. Mission packages include equipment and personnel aligned to excel in Surface Warfare, Undersea Warfare, and Mine Warfare. In addition to aligning to one of the aforementioned core missions, The Montgomery is capable of conducting Search and Rescue, Maritime Surveillance and Interdiction, Intelligence gathering, and can facilitate amphibious operations as well as Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief. The ship is planned to operate in the U.S. 7^thFleet.

“We are extremely excited to have Commander Straub and part of his crew with us to present the Freedom Trophy to our GEICO 500 winner,” said Talladega Superspeedway Chairman Grant Lynch. “We are going to celebrate the soon-to-be commission of the ship early when we have them here. It will be an extreme honor for all of our fans in attendance to show their appreciation There’s nothing we like more than showing support for our country’s military who fight each and every day for our freedom so that we can put on NASCAR events here. What a great time for our state.”

Talladega Superspeedway has always proudly brought patriotic elements to the grand 2.66-mile venue, celebrating our military and working closely with numerous military bases. In addition to recognizing the military through the Freedom Trophy, Talladega Superspeedway is proud to offer special ticket prices for all members of the military and their families for its race weekends. For more information, visit www.talladegasuperspeedway.com/military.

The four drivers who have had the distinguished honor to win the Freedom Trophy at Talladega Superspeedway include Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski, Dale Earnhardt, Jr (defending GEICO 500 Champion) and Joey Logano.

The GEICO 500 is set for a 12:00 p.m. (CDT) on Sunday, May 1. The fun and excitement of race weekend starts Friday, April 29, with practice sessions for the GEICO 500, the Sparks Energy 300 NASCAR XFINITY Series race and the General Tire 200 ARCA Racing Series event. The General Tire 200 gets the green flag later in the day at 5:00 pm. (CDT). Saturday’s slate includes qualifying for both the GEICO 500 and Sparks Energy 300, which gets the green flag at 2 p.m. (CDT).

For ticket information, including many upgrade opportunities, for the GEICO 500, Sparks Energy 300 and General Tire 200 events, log on to www.talladegasuperspeedway.com or call 1-877-Go2-DEGA.

About Talladega Superspeedway

Talladega Superspeedway is NASCAR’s Most Competitive Track (record 88 lead changes in 188 laps), most banked (33 degrees), and longest (2.66 miles), as well as the most fun and fan-friendly, offering up hundreds of acres of free camping, amazing kids ticket prices and special offers for military members and college students. The historic venue, built in 1969, is NASCAR’s “Party Capital” thanks to the track’s infamous infield, which features the traditional Saturday Night Concert and the world renowned Talladega Blvd, home of the “Big One on the Blvd” party. It is the site of the most comfortable seats in motorsports, large video viewing boards (a new initiative planned for future implementation at all ISC tracks) lining the frontstretch and endless activities for fans throughout its event weekends. Talladega Superspeedway’s next NASCAR weekend is set for April 29-May 1 with the ARCA Racing Series (General Tire 200), the NASCAR XFINITY Series (Sparks Energy 300) and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (GEICO 500). Log on to www.talladegasuperspeedway.com or call 877-Go2-DEGA for more information.