The resilience of America, Americans and the American military embodied by the Phoenix Project, will be symbolized by BGN rookie driver #40 Brian Vickers this weekend at Richmond. The 18-year-old rookie will proudly display the Phoenix Project emblem on the hood of the #40 BLV Dodge, saluting the accomplished mission of rebuilding the area of the Pentagon destroyed in the September attack on the famous military icon. The Phoenix Projects goal was to restore the 400,000-square foot section of the Pentagon that was most severely damaged in the Sept. 11 disaster by its one-year anniversary. Through his motorsports involvement with the U.S. Army, Vickers was invited to tour the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense. Once at the Pentagon, Vickers witnessed the vast destruction from the attack and was moved by the resolve displayed by the Americans charged with the challenge of the demolition and massive reconstruction. It was an honor to be invited by the U.S. Army to tour the Pentagon. During the tour, I met some of the soldiers that were working in the building on Sept. 11th and viewed where the plane impacted the building, Vickers said. I have such admiration for the men and women in our armed forces and I am proud to acknowledge their fierce dedication to our country and how theyve expressed that in the swift restoration of the Pentagon through the Phoenix Project. Walker Lee Evey, who serves as the principal adviser to both the Secretary and the Deputy Secretary of Defense in his role as Program Manager for the Pentagon Renovation Program (Phoenix Project), will be atop the BLV pit box as Honorary Crew Chief for the Richmond race. Mr. Evey will join Brian for a press conference in the media center prior to the race. The hood of the #40 U.S. Army Dodge will be autographed by Vickers fellow drivers in both the NASCAR Winston Cup and Busch Series circuits and presented to Evey in recognition of the efforts of his team. Those wishing to support the families of the Sept. 11th attack on the Pentagon may do so by contacting:
Survivors Fund
1-866-994-4673 or 703-237-7334
c/o Northern Virginia Family Service
The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region
1112 16th Street, N.W., Suite 340
Washington, D.C. 20036
www.nvfs.org. See an image of the car on my BGN Paint Scheme page.(ignition inc PR)(9-5-2002)
UPDATE: Brian Vickers, was all set to salute the resilience of America, Americans and the American military embodied by the Phoenix Project, by running a special paint scheme at Richmond International Raceway on Friday night. The Phoenix Project is the accomplished mission of rebuilding the area of the Pentagon destroyed in the September 11th terrorist attack on the military icon. The goal of the Phoenix Project was to restore the 400,000-square foot section of the Pentagon that was most severely damaged, before the one-year anniversary of the attack. Ironically, on Thursday night it was Vickers that needed a helping hand. A qualifying lap that narrowly missed the cut (.06 seconds) left the Phoenix Project tribute without a place on the starting grid Enter Michael Waltrip and Aarons Sales & Lease Ownership. Waltrip is coming off a Busch Series win at Michigan, and qualified 16th for the Richmond run. It only took a few seconds for us to make the decision to come to Brians aid in saluting the Phoenix Project, Waltrip said. I mean, isnt that what this whole deal is all about people pitching in to help others when they need a hand?
Aarons is honored to give up the hood of the #99 Chevrolet to the Phoenix Project in recognition of the sacrifice of the soldiers and civilians that perished on Sept. 11, and the perseverance of the Pentagon Restoration Project team, said Ken Butler, president of Aarons Rents Sales & Lease Ownership. The NASCAR garage is the place where you see the American spirit at work every day. These guys scrap and compete against each other every minute but when one of them needs a lift, that same group of competitors is there right away to lend a hand. Walker Lee Evey, who serves as the principal adviser to both the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Defense in his role as Manager for the Pentagon Renovation Office and Phoenix Project, will be atop the Aarons Racing pit box as Honorary Crew Chief for the Richmond race. Mr. Evey will join Waltrip and Vickers for a press conference in the media center at 6:00/et. The hood of the Phoenix Project entry will be autographed by Waltrip, Vickers and their fellow drivers in the NASCAR Winston Cup and Busch Series circuits, and presented to Evey in recognition of the efforts of his team. Naturally, Im really disappointed that we missed qualifying for the race, Vickers said. Since my visit to the Pentagon following the attack, we wanted to do something to honor those folks and we had been looking forward to this day. For Michael Waltrip and Aarons to come to our aid tonight at Richmond is something Ill never forget.(ignition-inc.com)(9-6-2002)
