On the side of the #14 Stewart Haas Racing Chevy at Phoenix International Raceway, which is being driven by Mark Martin, is a decal honoring the 19 members of the Granite Mountain Interagency Hotshot Crew who perished fighting a savage wildfire near the rural Arizona town of Yarnell earlier this year. In addition to the lives of the 19 elite firefighters, the blaze destroyed more than 100 buildings. ‘It wasnt that long ago when the firefighters lost their lives’ said Mike Arning, SHRs director of communications. ‘And coming out here, you look at all the first responders, who not only take care of the competitors, but take care of the fans, and we just felt it was a small way to let folks know we havent forgotten. Whether its a corner worker who works for a fire department or folks making sure the fans coming to this race track remain safe, somebody probably has a connection to those firefighters in Prescott. And we wanted to just do something small just to let folks know that their sacrifices will never, ever be forgotten.”( FoxSports )
