#01-Joe Nemechek visited and thanked 75 U.S. Army soldiers at Texas Motor Speedway Tuesday for their brave service following their recent return from Iraq. The soldiers represent the 1st Calvary Division, 3rd Brigade based at Fort Hood in central Texas. The soldiers participated in the Team Texas High Performance Driving School and wheeled stock cars at speed around The Great American Speedway. Nemechek then gave six soldiers a ride they will always remember, touring the 1.5-mile superspeedway at race speed. “It is a neat day coming to meet you soldiers,” Nemechek told the assembled group during a lunch speech. “Being here in Texas, having you come from Fort Hood, just getting back from overseas, it is a special day for all of us. “The Army is a different kind of sponsor,” Nemechek continued. “To me, it is very important. You are not dealing with a company that makes a product, you are dealing with soldiers, men and women.” Nemechek was accompanied by his mother, Martha Nemechek, who wore a Desert Storm uniform to honor the troops. Nemechek reflected on the day as he exited the speedway. “It was very, very neat. The soldiers will have a whole new outlook on what it takes to be a race car driver and what we do. It is always a special day when I get to share it with our soliders.”(Texas Motor Speedway)(8-24-2005)
