Matt Tifft’s No. 36 Surface Sunscreen/Tunity TV Ford will pay tribute to Carrollton, Virginia native U.S. Army Special Forces Sgt. 1st Class Joshua “Zach” Beale this Memorial Day weekend. SFC Beale was killed on January 22, 2019 in Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan, while conducting combat operations. He was assigned to 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
SFC Beale had more than seven years of service in the Army. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Old Dominion University in 2008 and enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2011. He attended Basic Training in Fort Benning, Georgia, where he graduated from the U.S. Army Airborne School. Beale graduated in 2018 from the Special Forces Qualification Course and was subsequently assigned to 3rd SFG (A).
Beale was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, and the Meritorious Service Medal. He was posthumously promoted to Sgt. 1st Class.
Tifft’s No. 36 Ford will display Beale’s name across the windshield for the “Coca-Cola 600” on May 26. His car will also feature a star-spangled paint scheme in honor of Memorial Day and NASCAR’s “600 Miles of Remembrance” tribute, where each car entered in the race will recognize a fallen U.S. soldier.
“It’s really an honor to represent SFC Beale on my car for the Coca-Cola 600,” said Tifft. “Participating in this tribute makes you take a step back to not only appreciate the sacrifices that these people have made for their country, but how fortunate we are to have such brave men and women fighting for our freedom every day.”
The No. 36 patriotic paint scheme will take to the track on Thursday, May 23 for practice and qualifying. The “Coca-Cola 600” Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race will air Sunday, May 26 at 6:00 p.m. on FOX.
FRM PR
