NASCAR Sprint Cup Series rookie Chris Buescher will promote railroad safety with CSX in 2016, with the transportation company returning its ‘Play It Safe’ messaging to the Front Row Motorsports #34 Ford Fusion for a fourth consecutive season. The 2015 XFINITY Series Champion and 2016 Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year candidate will serve as an ambassador to 18- to 34-year-old males among NASCAR’s fan base, the demographic mostly likely to be involved in a train collision and the targeted audience of CSX’s safety campaign. Buescher will drive the CSX ‘Play It Safe’ Ford for eight races, including events at Atlanta, Watkins Glen and the fall race at Richmond. ‘I got to work with CSX a little bit last year when I drove the #34, and I really respect what they’re doing with their NASCAR program,’ the 23-year-old driver said. ‘It’s all about safety and spreading the message to race fans. If we can reach people and prevent even one collision, it’ll be a successful campaign.’ CSX, a Jacksonville, Fla.-based railroad, has partnered with Front Row Motorsports for the past three Sprint Cup Series seasons to spread the message to ‘Play It Safe’ around railroad tracks and to ‘Brake for Trains.’
‘We are thrilled to have a champion driver like Chris Buescher in the CSX ‘Play It Safe’ car in our fourth season with Front Row Motorsports,’ said John Claybrooks, CSX Director, Brand and Marketing Communications. ‘They both understand our cause and safety message as we strive to keep people safe around railroad tracks.’ As one of the nation’s leading transportation suppliers, with a network covering 21,000 miles of railroad tracks in 23 states, CSX is committed to educating the public on railroad safety in the communities it serves. ‘At CSX, safety is a way of life, and our NASCAR sponsorship continues to help CSX promote railroad safety education across our network,’ says Jim Marks, CSX Vice President of Safety. ‘We can reach a large, key demographic to remind race fans to not stop, walk or play on the tracks or near crossings and encourage them to use safe driving practices at railroad crossings.’(Front Row Motorsports)
