Racing might be all about getting as much out of every opportunity as humanly possible, but for the No. 96 The NASCAR Foundation Toyota Camry team for Gaunt Brothers Racing (GBR) and its driver Daniel Suárez, Sunday’s Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 NASCAR Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth will also be about giving back.
The paint scheme on the No. 96 Toyota this weekend will feature The NASCAR Foundation, which is a leading charity that works to improve the lives of children who need it most in NASCAR communities nationwide through the Speediatrics Children’s Fund and the Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award. The focal point of the paint scheme Sunday will be the names of the four finalists for this year’s Humanitarian Award on the hood of the No. 96 Toyota.
Since its inception in 2011, The NASCAR Foundation has honored 36 finalists through the Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award by contributing $1.575 million to the children’s causes they represent.
The finalists for this year’s 10th edition of the Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award are: Daryl Farler from Franklin, Tennessee, a 10-year volunteer with Amputee Blade Runners of Tennessee, an organization that provides free running and sports prosthetics to lower-limb amputees seeking a more active lifestyle; Charlene Greer from Ormond Beach, Florida, a nine-year volunteer with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Volusia/Flagler; Larry Jordan from Dacula, Georgia, a 21-year volunteer with Angel Flight Soars, Inc., the original volunteer pilot organization that helps to strengthen families in crisis by eliminating the transportation concern for necessary medical care; and Rich Langley from Virginia Beach, Virginia, a nine-year volunteer with Roc Solid Foundation of North Carolina, an organization devoted to use the power of “play” to defeat pediatric cancer.
Each finalist is guaranteed a $25,000 donation from The NASCAR Foundation with the overall winner, determined by online fan voting, receiving a $100,000 donation. To vote, fans can go to NASCARfoundation.org/Award and vote once a day, every day until the vote closes Nov. 4 at noon EST. The winner will be presented virtually on Nov. 5, during the week leading into the NASCAR Championship Weekend at Phoenix Raceway. To learn more, visit NASCARfoundation.org/Award.
This weekend, Suárez and the No. 96 The NASCAR Foundation Toyota team for GBR return to the scene of their 23rd-place finish on the 1.5-mile Texas oval July 19, and they’re coming off last weekend’s 27th-place run on the 1.5-mile oval up the road at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City.
With an eye on 2021 and the continued evolution of the single-car No. 96 Toyota program, the team is looking to get the absolute most out of the final three weekends of this season while also paying special tribute this weekend to those who give.
You’re heading to Texas this weekend, where you’ve had two of the best results of your career, finishing third in both races last year. What’s your mindset as you return with your No. 96 The NASCAR Foundation Toyota team for the second time this year?
“Texas is such a fast mile-and-a-half where a lot can happen. I had very good cars for both races there last year and it’s always great when you can be fighting near the front all the way to the end of the race. This year, it’s been all about working hard to develop the mile-and-a-half program, especially since most of the tracks we race at are mile-and-a-half tracks. Each week has been a learning experience and we hope to be better Sunday than we were at the last race, which is our goal every weekend.”
What can you bring from this year’s July race at Texas that you might be able to use there this weekend?
“Our Toyota was turning pretty good the last part of the race, but it was a struggle to find grip all day, especially in traffic. We got a respectable finish out of it, and obviously we want to take what we learned that day and build on it. Just keep working hard.”
TSC PR
