GLENDORA, Calif. (Feb. 11, 2015) – In 2015 the NHRA and the U.S. Army are celebrating their 15th year as marketing partners in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. The association continues to be one of the longest-running continuous sponsorships in all of motorsports.
As part of the marketing alliance, U.S. Army continues to be the presenting sponsor for the extremely successful NHRA Youth and Education Services (Y.E.S.) program, the first of its kind in motorsports that works to inspire and provide career guidance to thousands of high school students all across the United States.
In addition, U.S. Army also serves as the primary sponsor for Don Schumacher Racing’s U.S. Army Top Fuel dragster, driven by Tony Schumacher. Together, the team has celebrated eight world championship titles, the most recent one coming last year. The U.S. Army team has also won the prestigious Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis a record nine times.
“Off the race track, the U.S. Army’s involvement with the NHRA Youth and Education Services program has benefitted hundreds of thousands of students as they prepare to make their career decisions,” said Gary Darcy, NHRA senior vice president of sales and marketing. “On the race track, their support of the DSR Top Fuel program has resulted in some of the most dominating team performances in NHRA history.”
Through its involvement with the Y.E.S. program, the U.S. Army offers a variety of experiences for NHRA fans of all ages from the Army Strong Interactive Zone displays in Nitro Alley to its marquee series of special programs offered at the track and in high schools that focus on teaching area youth the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) to succeed in today and how STEM, leadership and the Army’s core values make the U.S. Army the most adaptable and versatile force in the world.
With the U.S. Army’s support, NHRA is able to provide more than 23,000 youth around the country the opportunity to participate in the Y.E.S. program each year.
“Our partnership with NHRA has proven to be a tremendous platform for tens of thousands of Americans to get to know America’s team – the U.S. Army,” said Mark S. Davis, deputy assistant secretary of the Army for marketing. “We look forward to supporting the elite Army racing team and celebrating another exciting drag racing season.”
The program allows participants the opportunity to learn about and explore various career opportunities while gaining a new perspective on STEM by taking what they acquire in the classroom and applying it to real world experiences. Students enjoy thought provoking presentations from business, racing and educational professionals, interactive vendors and a free race ticket.
While attending the Y.E.S. program presented by the U.S. Army at an NHRA Mello Yello Series event, students visit the interactive midway that includes booths set up by career- and education-focused partners. They also attend a short panel discussion that is headlined by Schumacher, a local Army hero and others from the NHRA community. Speakers encourage students to think about how the decisions they make today will affect their career opportunities later in life. When the panel discussion is complete the attendees are encouraged to stay and watch that day’s racing.
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