INDIANAPOLIS (Aug. 11, 2011) – NHRA and Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis will make a sizeable ticket donation to local police and fire departments in the area for the upcoming Mac Tools U. S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil, officials from both organizations announced today. This donation coincides with many special tributes that are planned for the event which will honor and remember those who made great sacrifices in the moments after the 9/11 attacks in 2001.
“As we approach the ten year anniversary of 9/11 we want to make sure we remember those that put themselves in harm’s way on that fateful day,” said Wes Collier, general manager of Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis. “We also want to thank the men and women who protect us and keep our streets safe as we go about our daily lives.”
Morgan Lucas Racing Top Fuel drivers Morgan Lucas and Shawn Langdon helped kick off this exciting initiative as they presented the first tickets to Brownsburg firefighters and policemen at Firehouse 131, located on U. S. Highway 136 in downtown Brownsburg. Receiving the tickets were Brownsburg Fire Chief Oran True and Brownsburg Police Chief Mike Dove. They also took a tour of the firehouse, signed autographs and spent time with those at the firehouse.
Tickets will be donated to fire and police departments in Brownsburg, Avon, Danville, Plainfield, Pittsboro, Zionsville, Lebanon, Mooresville and Clermont.
First Responders also will be honored during the course of the Mac Tools U. S. Nationals weekend as they will take part in the patriotic opening ceremonies scheduled for the start of eliminations on Monday.
The Mac Tools U. S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil, the world's most prestigious drag race, has become a ‘bucket list’ requirement for race fans across the globe and is held each Labor Day weekend on the west side of Indianapolis at the historic Lucas Oil Raceway. The race is the final regular season event in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series and will feature competition in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle. Following this tradition-rich event, which will be televised on ESPN2HD, NHRA will lock in the top 10 drivers in each of the four Full Throttle classes who will compete for world championship titles during the Countdown to the Championship, NHRA’s six-race playoffs which begins Sept. 15-18 at zMAX Dragway near Charlotte, N.C.
The 9/11 tributes will be a special addition to the event that will be highlighted by NHRA's 60th anniversary celebration which will take place each day of the race. Special 60th anniversary events will include appearances by NHRA legends Shirley Muldowney, Bob Glidden and many other drag racing heroes, as they are honored for their lifelong contributions to the sport.
Tickets for the Mac Tools U. S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil are currently on sale and can be purchased by going to www.NHRATix.com or by visiting the Lucas Oil Raceway box office leading up to the event. Tickets also can be purchased by calling NHRA at (800) 884-NHRA (6472).
One of five drag racing facilities owned and operated by the National Hot Rod Association, Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis was built in 1960 and has presented organized racing events since 1961. From March through October, the facility hosts more than 120 dates of racing on three tracks, a quarter-mile drag strip, a .686-mile paved oval and a 2.5-mile road course. Home to drag racing’s biggest event, the NHRA Mac Tools U.S. Nationals over Labor Day weekend, the drag strip runs more than 50 days of point-to-point action, from national events to street legal community programs. The oval track draws racing’s biggest events, including annual visits from the NASCAR Nationwide, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and annual USAC races. The road course provides a home for several racing sanctions, while providing an ideal resource for driving schools, corporate outings and open-road tests for professional drivers.
