STATESVILLE, N.C. (May 19, 2015) – The Sprint Cup entries of Front Row Motorsports will be pay tribute to fallen military members close to team members’ hearts during the Coca-Cola 600 Sunday. As part of NASCAR’s “600 Miles of Remembrance,” the Ford Fusions of Brett Moffitt, Cole Whitt and David Gilliland will feature windshield name decals memorializing two Front Row team family members who died serving their country as well as “The Unknown Soldier.”
Dates of Service: Feb. 1943 – Feb. 1946
From Biddeford, Maine, Sgt. Renald J. Bouthot served two years in Germany during World War II. Sgt. Bouthot was the grandfather of Robert Nicoletos, a welder for Front Row Motorsports and a 23-year U.S. Air Force veteran. He and his family are honored to pay tribute to his grandfather by running his name on Brett Moffitt’sNo. 34 CSX Ford Fusion during the Coca-Cola 600.
Dates of Service: 1942-45 U.S. Marine Corps; 1950-58 U.S. Air Force
Capt. Bartley was a fighter pilot in Korea, 4th man with the Thunder Birds from 1956-57, and recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross. He was killed in action on July 12, 1958. Capt. Bartley was the uncle of Front Row Motorsports suspension assembly mechanic Kurt Bartley. Kurt and his family are honored to pay tribute to Capt. Bartley by running his name with Cole Whitt and the No. 35 Speed Stick Ford Fusion during the 600 Miles of Remembrance.
The No. 38 team will run a name decal dedicated to the common memories of all servicemen and women who died in action. The idea of running “The Unknown Soldier” comes from the No. 38 team’s truck driver, Charles “Wahoo” Sampson, who served multiple tours of duty as a U.S. Marine. Having lost a number of brothers during his time served, Sampson felt this was the best way to honor them all, along with others who were unidentified or never made their resting place back home. “The Unknown Soldier” will be memorialized on David Gilliland’s No. 38 Love’s Travel Stops Ford Fusion for the Memorial Day weekend race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
About Front Row Motorsports:
Front Row Motorsports is a race-winning organization competing in NASCAR’s premier Sprint Cup Series, fielding the No. 34, the No. 35 and the No. 38 Fords. The team is owned by Bob Jenkins and is headquartered just outside of Charlotte, N.C. FRM was named to INC Magazine’s “INC 5000” list in 2012, recognizing the 5,000 fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. The team’s partnership base is representative of more than $200 billion of the U.S. economy and includes organizations such as Ford Motor Company, Love’s Travel Stops, Colgate-Palmolive, CSX Transportation, Taco Bell and Long John Silver’s. Visit teamfrm.com.
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