National Guard Drivers Meet At IndyINDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (7/11/09) -- IRL racer Dan Wheldon and NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., both sponsored by the National Guard, met Thursday here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to talk shop and meet assembled members of the press and the National Guard.Earnhardt took a seat in the Panther Racing Indy Car to get a feel for it, while Wheldon walked him through the operation of the car. "I would love to drive one," Earnhardt said after Wheldon's tutorial. "I'm intrigued how the IndyCar drives, what driving an Indy car feels like. In the first seconds, I had out there, I picked (his) brain as hard as I could. That's all me and Dan would probably do if we had our choice today, was sit around and talk about it. But, you know, it definitely interests me." Wheldon, who was flanked by Panther team owner John Barnes and Indiana National Guard Adjutant General Martin Umbarger, quickly pointed to his bosses and said, "I'm sure these guys could arrange that for you, Dale." Both drivers spoke about their connection to the National Guard. "Anytime I'm at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway you're going to see a smile on my face," Wheldon said. "Especially when I'm here with another great driver like Dale Earnhardt Jr. He and I are both very competitive and we both drive for great teams. We both have team owners, who take a lot of pride in their relationship with the National Guard, and John Barnes in particular is an amazing advocate for the National Guard. "It's great to be here today with General Umbarger and all these Soldiers to help highlight everything they do for this country." Wheldon, who recently placed second in the Indy 500, spoke about how honored he was to run the race in the camo colored car. "Nothing more gives us both satisfaction than putting a smile on these troops faces and representing the Guard the way they deserve to be represented," said Wheldon. Umbarger welcomed the two drivers back to the capitol of racing and thanked them for representing the National Guard with enthusiasm and respect. "I hear more from Soldiers and Airmen about our association with these two young men than probably any other issue," he said. "They're excited about the racing and they're excited about having the National Guard logo out there on the track. Source: MilitarySpot.com |