Team Marines(revised): Hank Parker Jr.’s Rick Rathbun’s Team Marines Racing BGN Chevrolet Monte Carlo(#53) will display aGet Well J.R. decal on its c-pillar in today’s race. J.R. Schmidtke is a Texan and former Marine who was recently diagnosed with cancer. Schmidtke served in the Marine Corps with best friend Rick Rathbun and both are helicopter pilots. Parker’s Chevrolet will also carry the colors of Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 263. The U.S. Marine Corps unit is stationed in Jacksonville, N.C., and is leaving today for a six-month deployment in the Mediterranean Sea aboard the USS Wasp. Rick Rathbun’s Team Marines Racing is playing host to 33 U.S. Marine Corps recruiters, including Maj. Gen. Garry Parks – one of the highest-ranking Marines in the Corps – who oversees the Recruiting Command in Quantico, VA. The Marines are on hand to experience NASCAR racing firsthand and how it can enhance the recruitment process(Team Marines PR)(2-19-2000)
