SPARTA, Ky. — When it comes to helping military families, team owner and seven-time Sprint Cup champion Richard Petty is at the forefront.
Richard Petty Motorsports kicked off its three-race primary sponsorship with Eckrich on Friday with the unveiling of a “piggy bank” made from a Sprint Cup racing tire. Proceeds from the tire banks, which also will travel to Eckrich-sponsored races at Indianapolis and Michigan, support Operation Homefront, which supports military families through its network of more than 4,500 volunteers.
In addition, Eckrich (part of the John Morrell Food group, a subsidiary of Smithfield Foods) will donate five cents of the revenue of specially marked products, up to $200,000, through July 4.
Petty and Aric Almirola, driver of the No. 43 RPM Ford, kicked off the campaign by depositing 43 cents each into the tire bank unveiled behind Almirola’s transporter.
“This is for the military families that get lost in the shuffle,” said Petty, who will turn 75 on Monday. “This is for the families more than the enlisted people. We’ve always been a family race team that wants to give back to the people who sacrifice so much for us.
“Hopefully the fans will keep filling up this bank as a simple way to say thanks to all our military families.”
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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