Comcast NBCUniversal to Celebrate U.S. Military as Part of Annual NASCAR Salutes Event at Daytona International Speedway
Company to Host 50 Local Service Members and their Families During NASCAR XFINITY Series Race Where All Drivers Replace Windshield Logo with Name of Military Unit;
Also Partners with Joe Gibbs Racing to Sponsor Matt Tifft’s No. 19 Comcast NBCUniversal Salute to Service Toyota Camry
PHILADELPHIA, PA – June 27, 2017 – Comcast NBCUniversal today announced that it will celebrate the U.S. military during this weekend’s NASCAR Salutes event at Daytona International Speedway by hosting more than 50 local service members with their families, and partnering with Matt Tifft and Joe Gibbs Racing to sponsor the No. 19 Comcast NBCUniversal Salute to Service Toyota Camry. Additionally, NASCAR XFINITY Series™ drivers will feature an active military unit or installation on their race car windshields.
Comcast NBCUniversal is a recognized leader in the military community. Earlier this month, the U.S. Secretary of Defense named the company as a recipient of the 2017 Secretary of Defense Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) “Freedom Award,” the highest honor the Department of Defense awards to employers for support of their National Guard and Reserve employees. Comcast NBCUniversal is on track to hire more than 10,000 veterans, National Guard and Reserve members, and military spouses by the end of this year.
“Comcast NBCUniversal is honored to recognize those who have served our country through our Salute to Service partnership with Matt Tifft and Joe Gibbs Racing,” says Carol Eggert, Senior Vice President of Military and Veteran Affairs, Comcast Cable, and Brigadier General (Ret.), U.S. Army. “We support our nation’s military community and value the tremendous contributions of those who serve our country.”
Culminating at Daytona International Speedway, NASCAR Salutes Refreshed by Coca-Cola (#NASCARSalutes) is the industry’s six-week collective expression of respect and gratitude for those who bravely served and continue to defend the United States today.
Fans can tune in for the Coca-Cola Firecracker 250 on Friday, June 30 at 7:30 p.m. E.T. on NBCSN. At that race, Comcast NBCUniversal will host about 50 local service members and their families from military bases in Florida and Georgia during race weekend, providing a VIP experience that includes grandstand tickets and access to activities and events. The company also worked with NASCAR to replace the XFINITY windshield header on all NASCAR XFINITY Series cars with the names of military installations from all five branches. Examples include: Patrick Air Force Base 45th Space Wing; USCG Station Port Canaveral; and the 514th Air Mobility Wing out of Trenton, NJ.
Comcast NBCUniversal also will partner with Joe Gibbs Racing to sponsor the No. 19 Comcast NBCUniversal Salute to Service Toyota Camry, driven by NASCAR XFINITY Series rookie and rising star Matt Tifft. Tifft will carry the 3rd Infantry Division based out of Fort Stewart, GA on his windshield for the weekend, and military members of this unit will attend the Daytona race as guests of the team.
“It is a true honor to partner with Comcast and NBCUniversal for NASCAR Salutes this weekend in Daytona, and specifically to recognize the 3rd Infantry Division out of Fort Stewart, Georgia on our car,” says Tifft. “NASCAR has always done a tremendous job recognizing our military members and their families, and the commitment Comcast has to those who serve our country is incredible. I’m just thankful to have a chance to be a part of it all.”
This year, Comcast NBCUniversal ranked in the top ten on Military Times’ “Best for Vets Employers” list, No. 4 on GI Jobs Magazine’s 2017 “Military Friendly Employer” list, and No. 1 in Military Spouse magazine’s “Top 100 Military Spouse Friendly Employers” list. Beyond hiring, the company has also engaged with and supported the military community in a variety of ways. In the past year alone, Comcast has streamed the Summer Olympics to active duty and retired military personnel and their families at no cost; helped members of the military community to start their own businesses through its national partnership with Bunker Labs; and through NBC News, the company has highlighted the challenges that military caregivers face as part of the Elizabeth Dole Foundation Hidden Heroes campaign.
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