With the Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart a little more than two weeks away, NASCAR Cup Series Driver Erik Jones made a stop just minutes from Atlanta Motor Speedway to visit Rocky Creek Elementary School and present the students and staff with a book vending machine on behalf of the Erik Jones Foundation.
“I really just hope the book vending machine inspires in some way. That’s the ultimate goal,” said Jones. “I hope it inspires them to not only want to obviously go and read, but just inspire them in general areas to go out and perform and exceed and be the best they can be at anything in life, really.”
As part of the stop, Jones visited with the summer school students of Rocky Creek Elementary and answered questions about being a race car driver. He then took some time to sit and read the newly released book “Upside-Down Dreams” by Michelle Curran to the kids. A few students also had the opportunity to try out the machine and pick out a book to take home.
“Because I like dogs and I never read one, so I want to see what it is like,” said 3rd grader Max Yanayans when asked why he selected Diary of a Pug with his gold vending machine coin given to him by Jones.
“It made me really excited because he has struggled with reading and this is really going to put a pep in his step to get us on the right step of where he needs to be,” said kindergarten teacher Stephanie Yanayans and Max’s mom. “He has the biggest smile on his face. I just hope that it encourages kids to read to try their best.”
The cause is part of Jones’ ongoing effort to share his love of books and help children fuel their own passion for reading.
During the event, SCC Atlanta and Atlanta Motor Speedway presented the Erik Jones Foundation with a $3,000 donation to keep the vending machine stocked with a collection of fun and engaging books for the upcoming school year.
“We want to be a partner in our community everywhere we turn to be able to partner with the school system and to be a part of helping these kids to see their energy here today and to know that this machine is going to be in this school for a long, long time,” said Atlanta Motor Speedway Executive Vice President Brandon Hutchison. “To be a part of the future education of these kids is really special to be a part of.
“And as we go into the Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart weekend, it’s just cool to be here and be able to celebrate,” said Hutchison. “And you saw them raise their hand – we’ve got quite a few of these kids coming to the race in a couple of weeks.”
Atlanta Motor Speedway is also giving race fans an opportunity to help keep the vending machine stocked for years to come and enjoy a unique race weekend experience with Jones during its upcoming July NASCAR event.
With the Erik Jones Ticket Package, fans will receive a ticket to the Alsco Uniforms 250 On Saturday night, July 8, and access to a Q&A and book reading with Jones earlier that day. Most importantly, each ticket package includes a donation that will be used to purchase more books for Rocky Creek Elementary’s book vending machine. The Erik Jones Ticket Package is $40 for adults and $10 for kids 12 and under.
Tickets available online at atlantamotorspeedway.com Tickets for the Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart are available now at www.AtlantaMotorSpeedway.com or by calling 877-9-AMS-TIX.
About the Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart:
The Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart headlines the summer slate of NASCAR racing at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday, July 9. Featuring the first weekend of night racing at AMS since 2014, Atlanta’s summer NASCAR weekend comes with increased stakes with the NASCAR playoffs looming large.
Accompanying the Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart is the Alsco Uniforms 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series race on Saturday, July 9. The summer race will challenge the rising stars of the sport to stand out and succeed on one of the circuit’s most challenging tracks.
More information on the July 7-9, 2023, Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart weekend and ticket availability can be found online at AtlantaMotorSpeedway.com.
AMS PR
