It wasn’t the ground-shaking boom of an M119 Howitzer that moved #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. on Wednesday; it was the line of six Indiana Army National Guard soldiers with raised right hands in that same grassy field. Earnhardt, in Indiana to compete in this weekend’s Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, shared in the re-enlistment ceremony of the half dozen soldiers. IndyCar Series driver Graham Rahal, whose motor sports program is also sponsored by the National Guard, also was there. ‘That was really overwhelming because I’m sure that opportunity will never come again,’ Earnhardt said with a shaken voice. ‘I (once) had the privilege of swearing in new recruits and they were scared to death – it was a unique experience – but to have some guys who want to add more years to what they’re doing, that says a lot about how much they believe in what they’re doing.’ Earnhardt and Rahal didn’t just meet soldiers, they got to engage with them. Both got to fire the Howitzer on Range 43, ignite ditch-creating C4 artillery on Range 44 and shoot an M4 rifle on Range 12. They even rode out in a Blackhawk. The Howitzer has a range of nearly 10 miles, and it had both drivers shaking.(see full story and images at the USA Today)(7-24-2014)
