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The 7 Best Moments at NASCAR’s Samuel Deeds 400

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The 7 Best Moments at NASCAR’s Samuel Deeds 400

TSJ was honored to participate in Crown Royal’s “Capture the Crown.” For the second time! Capture the Crown is a scavenger hunt consisting of 5 teams of bloggers. Each team races around NASCAR and completes tasks for the chance to win a huge prize (can’t even go into that) and eternal glory (still just glory-ish). While TSJ wasn’t on the winning team this year, we still had an incredible experience at The Samuel Deeds 400 at the Brickyard.

Here are some highlights.

1. Honoring a Hero

NASCAR

This will mark the seventh time Crown Royal has awarded race-naming rights to a hero. This year, the honor went to Gunnery Sergeant, Samuel Deeds.

While deployed in Iraq, Gunnery Sergeant Samuel Deeds, a die-hard NASCAR fan, dreamed of working in the sport after completing his service.

In 2005, those dreams took a back seat when Deeds placed himself in harm’s way to save the lives of his fellow Marines.

Deeds came across an improvised explosive device (IED) while setting up a vehicle checkpoint. Upon seeing fellow Marines approaching, he exposed himself to the device, risking his own life to save others. He was severely injured and underwent more than 30 surgeries and procedures following the blast.

Three years later, while still recovering, Deeds’ heroic instincts took charge once again when he saved the lives of three individuals caught in a rip tide off the coast of North Carolina.

As the winner of the program, Deeds participated in a VIP race weekend experience, riding in the pre-race pace car, delivering the trophy bearing his name to the race winner in Victory Lane, and participating in the “kissing the bricks” ceremony following the race.

2. The Pace Car Ride

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All the bloggers participating in Capture the Crown were lucky enough to get a ride in the pace car, a Camaro ZL1 Coupe. The car is powered by a 6.2 liter supercharged Chevrolet small block V8, that delivers 580 horsepower, and has a top speed of 184 miles per hour.

Hugging walls around the 2.5-mile oval at speeds over 100 mph gives a whole new meaning to the words, “muscle control.”

3. Hanging with the Super Fans

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(Photo credit: Star Walker, Starwalkerphoto.com)

When you’re in a stadium full of people in earplugs, you have to let your fashion do the talking. NASCAR fans do not disappoint.

NASCAR has upwards of 75 million fans, who purchase over 3 billion dollars in licensed products annually!

You haven’t truly experienced NASCAR until you’ve tailgated with the diehards.

4. Kissing/My Ass

NASCAR

Races at the Brickyard encourage you to pop it like it’s hot. The tradition of “kissing the bricks,” was started by NASCAR champion Dale Jarrett.

After his Brickyard 400 victory in 1996, Jarrett and crew chief Todd Parrott decided to walk out to the start-finish line, kneel and kiss the Yard of Bricks to pay tribute to the fabled history of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The team joined them for a group kiss on the bricks, and an Indianapolis tradition was born. I was honored to kiss the bricks and show Indy what three months of Zumba can do.

*TSJ urges you to wear protection when kissing the bricks.

5. Crown Royal Tasting

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The Crown Royal tasting was definitely a highlight of the trip. Admittedly, I am not much of a whiskey-drinker — but the tasting made me realize why Crown is the number one selling Canadian whiskey brand in the US. With so many distinct flavors, there is truly something for everyone.

I had an instant love connection with the new Crown Maple. You have got to try what I believe is the drink of the summer: Crown Maple and Sweet Tea, garnished with an orange slice. So good!

6. Justin Moore Concert

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We were treated to an awesome concert by country music star, Justin Moore. Ladies and gentleman, if you haven’t heard a crowd of country music fans chanting “USA! USA!”– you AREN’T LIVING.

Justin performed a handful of his hits including, “Small Town USA,” as well as, “Till My Last Day,” and “Backwoods.” His new album, Off The Beaten Path, will be released September 17, 2013.

Justin’s label, Big Machine Label Group, has also forayed into the racing world, sponsoring the Brickyard 400 as well as back-to-back Indy 500 drivers.

7. Glory for the Under Dog

NASCAR

The race came to an awesome close with an unexpected win by Ryan Newman. The victory was Newman’s first at the Brickyard, which is the only NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race in his native state.

Newman won for the seventeenth time in his career, and for the first time since April 2012 at Martinsville.

Newman took advantage of an uncharacteristic glitch on pit road by Jimmie Johnson’s No. 48 team, grabbing the lead and holding on to the win.

TSJ would like to thank Crown Royal and the team at Taylor Strategy for an unforgettable NASCAR experience!


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