NASCAR’s Daniel Suarez and crew chief Travis Mack in Wrightsville Beach learning what it takes to be a member of the Coast Guard
Members of the Coast Guard to attend Coca Cola 600 Memorial Day Weekend
WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, N.C. (WWAY) – On Tuesday, a famous NASCAR driver got to sit behind the wheel of a different kind of vehicle.
“Every time you give me the opportunity to drive something, I am trying to go fast. Honestly I didn’t tell them this because I was afraid they weren’t going to let me drive – but I have never driven a boat before,” says Suarez, the driver of the No. 99 car from Mexico. “I wasn’t born here or raised here but I feel very lucky to be living here and enjoying the freedom these people provide to every single person in this country.”
The initiative stems from NASCAR’s Mission 600, a prelude to the ultimate Memorial Day Weekend salute to the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces, Charlotte Motor Speedway will continue its tradition of saluting America’s military. NASCAR’s top drivers mix in with regional military bases and do virtual visits with units deployed overseas.
“I’m happy to be able to recognize them and to be a part of the Coca-Cola 600. It’s such an amazing race and it means a lot.” “To learn more about what they do and how they do it. Some of these people spend their entire lives training and working and moving different places to help others to keep people safe. And we shouldn’t be taking that for granted.:
Suarez and Mack got a tour of the facility, seeing the ins and outs of the technology and methods of which the Coast Guard operate. Beyond driving the 45-foot response boat with twin diesel engines, he threw a tow line to a 29-foot boat that was “beached” in shallow water and in need of a pull back into the channel. Suarez had many questions about the equipment, the member’s lifestyles, and work-life balance.
Senior Chief Boatswain Mate Jason Miller, the officer-in-charge at Coast Guard Station Wrightsville Beach, thinks the Mission 600 visit gives opportunity to put the Coast Guard’s responsibilities on display. He mentions many members of the Coast Guard are NASCAR fans, and are excited to be at the race Memorial Day Weekend.
“It was really neat to get Danny out there and show him what we do,” said Senior Chief Officer Jason Miller. “The biggest message we always want to get across is boating safety especially now coming 2 years out of the pandemic, record boat sales across the country, boating accidents are up, uneducated boaters are out there, if you’re going to get on a boat take the time to know what you are doing.”
