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Pre-Race Festivities to include Salute to Active Military and Veterans

(PHOENIX, Ariz.) – To help NASCAR fans celebrate Veteran’s Day, Phoenix International Raceway will pay tribute to the generations of men and women who have served or are currently serving in the U.S. Armed Forces during the Kobalt Tools 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series pre-race show beginning at 12:30 p.m. on Nov. 14.

The patriotic festivities will include a special unveiling of the No. 39 Chevy’s new paint scheme by The U.S. Army and Stewart-Haas Racing. Ryan Newman – winner of the last Sprint Cup Series event at PIR in April – teamed up with Phoenix International Raceway to create a special military ticketing program designed to honor Veteran’s Day and provide tickets for military families. The program – titled “Troop Newman” – is part of PIR’s Salute to Military Families initiative.

The Kobalt Tools 500 pre-race show will feature more than 60,000 American Flags waving in the Grandstands donated by the Paralyzed Veterans of America.

The spectacular pre-race show will also include:

• A “Welcome Home” ceremony for 150 guardsmen from the Arizona National Guard
• Recognition of Arizona selections for the U.S. Army All American Bowl
• A performance by The U.S. Army Band
• An aerial entrance to the track by skydivers carrying the American Flag
• Display of a 200-foot American Flag by Arizona Project ChalleNGe
• National anthem by acclaimed trumpeter Dr. Jesse McGuire
• F-16 fly-over by Luke Air Force Base
• Luke Air Force Base Honor Guard

The Kobalt Tools 500, NASCAR’s semi-final race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, starts at 1 p.m. and will be televised nationally on ESPN.

Tickets to the exciting Nov. 11-14 Kobalt Tools 500 NASCAR event weekend are also still available with prices starting at just $25. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.phoenixraceway.com/tickets or call 866-408-RACE (7223).

About Phoenix International Raceway

Since 1964, Phoenix International Raceway has served race fans as the premier motorsports venue in the Southwest. Watch the brightest stars in NASCAR take on PIR’s famed one-mile oval – including four-time defending Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Tony Stewart and many more – on November 14, 2010 in the Kobalt Tools 500. Tickets for the entire Kobalt Tools 500 weekend at Phoenix International Raceway can be purchased online at PhoenixRaceway.com or by calling 1-866-408-RACE (7223). For more, visit PhoenixRaceway.com, Facebook.com/PhoenixRaceway and Twitter.com/PhoenixRaceway.

- Phoenix International Raceway, Press Release