With its annual event falling on Mothers Day weekend, Darlington Raceway has built a longtime tradition with its NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Bojangles Southern 500 race. Each year, the grand marshals for the race have been the moms of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers, a tradition that fans, drivers and their families have enjoyed over the last several years. The moms will once again say the command to start engines for this weekends race, but will also be joined by a special honorary mom, Stephanie Decker, who has her own story of courage and perseverance to tell. Decker will join the likes of drivers moms, including Carol Bickford (Jeff Gordon), Gaye Busch (Kurt & Kyle Busch), Tammy Kahne (Kasey Kahne), Beverly Ragan (David Ragan), Janna Bowyer (Clint Bowyer), Kay Keselowski (Brad Keselowski), Brenda Jackson (Dale Earnhardt Jr.), Mary Lou Hamlin (Denny Hamlin) and Carol Mears (Casey Mears), among others. Decker, a resident of Henryville, Ind., was injured shielding two of her children from a devastating tornado that hit their home in March of 2012. Decker lost the use of both of her legs in the incident and now utilizes prosthetics to walk on. Her up-hill battle to walk again was a national news story of courage, leading to the creation of the Stephanie Decker Foundation, supporting prosthetics for kids and access to leading-edge prosthetics for every person.( Darlington Raceway )
