NASCAR Truck Teams Dedicate Resources to Fight COVID-19

Various teams and drivers from the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series have dedicated time and resources to supporting those in the fight against COVID-19. Since the start of the pandemic, members of the Gander Trucks family have rallied to make a difference.

Below you can see some of the initiatives that teams and drivers have been and continue to support.

All Out Motorsports – Korbin Forrister

All Out Motorsports has partnered with the American Health Care Association, Georgia Health Care Association and Florida Health Care Association to recognize Nursing Home Heroes.

During the Atlanta race week, drivers will be visiting a nursing home in Atlanta delivering “Thank You Hero” packets to staff and residents. With tracks closed to public, drivers are showing appreciation for their fans. Drivers will remain outside the facility due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Forrister discusses the commitment in this video.

Front Row Motorsports – Todd Gilliland

Love’s Travel Stops, a partner for Front Row Motorsports, is providing bonuses and meals for employees that continue to work during the COVID-19 outbreak. Love’s is also offering additional paid sick time for employees.

To help the youth who depend on daily school resources, Love’s donated $100,000 to the United Way of Central Oklahoma COVID-19 Response Fund, earmarked for services provided to youth. During March 27 to May 31, the company gave more than 20,000 free drinks to first responders and medical professionals as a small thank you to those battling the virus.

Additionally, Love’s supported truck drivers with a $100,000 donation to the St. Christopher Truckers Development and Relief Fund. The donation helps professional drivers who can’t work due to illness or injury. Most recently, Love’s supported an Oklahoma City initiative through OU Medicine called the Million Mask Challenge. Love’s procured 4,500 masks to donate to the healthcare professionals with OU Medicine to support this initiative.

For further details on how Love’s is assisting employees and those in the community, click here.

Halmar Friesen Racing – Stewart Friesen

Halmar International, a heavy civil construction management firm and partner in Halmar Friesen Racing, purchased and donated 32,000 pounds of food to four different food banks in the New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts areas. The firm utilized members of the Halmar Friesen Racing team and the team’s hauler to deliver enough food for approximately 27,000 meals for vulnerable regions. Driver Stewart Friesen will run a paint scheme at Atlanta with the outreach name and logo “Racing to Beat Hunger.”

To read more about the deliveries and the team’s trip itinerary, click here.

Click here to view Friesen’s Atlanta paint scheme.

Hattori Racing Enterprise – Austin Hill

Hattori Racing Enterprise hosted four iRacing charity events between March 28 and May 1 to benefit FeedNC.org, a non-profit organization that provides nourishing meals and encouragement to those in need. Several drivers participated including Austin Hill, Max McLaughlin, Derek Kraus, Ryan Truex, Stewart Friesen, Brett Moffitt and Landon Cassill. Jacob Seelman from Speed Sport News and Hannah Newhouse served as commentators for two of the events. Overall, the events raised $1,114 for FeedNC.

To view a graphic from Hattori Racing Enterprise’s Facebook page, click here.

Kyle Busch Motorsports – Christian Eckes

Kyle Busch Motorsports and driver Christian Eckes utilized their team’s 3D printer to build visors, a critical piece for face shields used by workers on the frontlines of COVID-19 response. The team’s 3D printer can produce 10 visors per day.

Click here to watch their video.

Niece Motorsports – Jeb Burton

Jeb Burton, driver for Niece Motorsports, partnered with God’s Pit Crew and Carilion Clinic to package 500 meals and 500 backpacks for children in the Roanoke City Public School system. Each meal box contained several meals, snacks and drinks and each backpack was packed with toiletries and blankets for children in need. God’s Pit Crew, based in Danville, Virginia, is a non-profit, faith-based crisis response team of over 700 volunteers who wish to serve others in their time of need. Carilion Clinic is a non-profit integrated healthcare organization that provides care for nearly one million Virginians and West Virginians.

Click to watch video 1 or video 2.

NEMCO Motorsports – Joe Nemechek

NEMCO team owner, Joe Nemechek, was active in creation of a new testing booth with family-owned Chek Industries, Inc. Mark Chek, owner of Chek Industries, and his brother Joe Nemechek partnered with the Lake Norman Regional Medical Center to build a custom designed and fabricated diagnostic testing booth to help those on the frontlines of COVID-19.

The booth allows a hospital staff member to step inside — no personal protective equipment required, though it can act as a secondary layer of protection — and place their arms into the rubber gloves fixed to the portholes. They can then collect a swab or sample from the patient and place the specimen into a bag. The rubber gloves can quickly be disinfected and ready for the next patient, without the need for the healthcare professional to do a complete change of PPE.

To read a feature about the project, click here.

Reaume Brothers Racing – Angela Ruch

Angela Ruch, driver for Reaume Brothers Racing, lost her father-in-law, Robert Carl Ruch, to COVID-19. Ruch honored her father-in-law, an Air Force Veteran, with a special paint scheme at Charlotte Motor Speedway. She made history by becoming the first female in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series to lead laps at Daytona International Speedway.

Click to see photos of Robert Carl Ruch and Angela’s truck at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

— NASCAR Wire Service —