A record 2,131 U.S. Military Veterans will “ride” with Austin Dillon at Atlanta Motor Speedway on July 9 in a patriotic No. 3 Dow Salutes Veterans Chevrolet featuring the names of U.S. Military Veterans and active-duty military members.
The car was officially unveiled Wednesday as part of a special Veterans Coffee at the RCR Events Center in Welcome, North Carolina, where local area veterans gathered to celebrate Flag Day and the U.S. Army’s 248th birthday. The in-person unveil preceded a virtual unveil hosted by Dow’s VetNet employee resource group.
“With support from partners like Richard Childress Racing, we march towards a horizon of wider inclusion, particularly of veterans in the workforce,” said Scott Whelchel, Dow Chief Security Officer and Managing Sponsor of Dow VetNet. “As we celebrate the Dow Salutes Veterans Chevrolet, we seize the opportunity to honor veterans’ unwavering commitment to service, while recognizing the indispensable skills they bring to the table.”
The 2023 Dow Salutes Veterans Chevrolet highlights Dow’s Military Degree Equivalency (MDE) program. The MDE program provides an opportunity for individuals with extensive military background to bring their broad scope of training and education, experience in leadership, and understanding of performing in high pressure situations into a successful career at Dow.
“Dow’s emphasis on supporting their employee veterans is a shared core value that directly correlates to the patriotism of everyone at RCR and within NASCAR,” said Dillon. “It’s been amazing to see the spiderweb-like growth of the Dow Salutes Veterans program. The names on the car grow each year, as does the impact and scope this program has on Dow employees worldwide. It means a lot to me, personally, to meet a lot of the veterans who are featured on the car each year and to have a chance to honor our Nation’s true heroes – veterans and active-duty military – for their service and dedication.”
2023 marks the ninth consecutive year that Dow has partnered with RCR to honor U.S. Military veterans. The program began with just over 350 veterans in 2015 to a record of more than 2,100 this year.
“The Dow Salutes Veteran’s program with Richard Childress Racing is a very tangible and meaningful way to recognize the many contributions of Dow and RCR veterans to our country and to our companies,” said Jane Palmieri, president, Dow Industrial Intermediates & Infrastructure and Executive Sponsor of Dow VetNet. “We hope the unique camouflage-themed paint scheme embodies this special partnership, Dow’s unique veteran resource group (VetNet) and the Military Degree Equivalency (MDE) program, while commemorating our veterans and the accomplishments we’re celebrating this year.”
The car’s paint scheme also highlights Dow’s relationship with Team Rubicon, a veteran-led disaster response organization that has been instrumental within Dow.
“Team Rubicon and our veteran volunteers are thrilled to ride with Richard Childress Racing and Austin Dillon for the third year this July 9th,” said Art delaCruz, CEO of Team Rubicon. “We’re proud to partner with Dow as part of their continued investment in the men and women who have served this country.”
Watch Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Dow Salutes Veterans Chevrolet in the Quaker State 400 presented by Walmart at Atlanta Motor Speedway live on USA Network on Sunday, July 9 at 7 p.m. ET.
RCR PR
