The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Air Guard 400 sped into the Richmond International Raceway in front of a crowd of over 95,000 race fans Sept. 11 where Director of the Air National Guard Lt. Gen. Harry M. Wyatt III was given the position of honor as the grand marshall of the last race before the "Chase for the Cup." Wyatt, alongside Maj. Gen. Daniel E. Long, Jr., Adjutant General of Virginia, toured the race complex and visited the numerous Airmen and Soldiers of the National Guard there participating in the pre-race ceremonies.
As part of his duties as grand marshall, Wyatt was given the opportunity to announce the famous saying, "Gentlemen, start your engines in front of the near sell out crowd." He also awarded the Air Guard 400 trophy in Victory Lane to the winner of the race, Denny Hamlin, who secured himself the number-one seed in the NASCAR chase for the championship. (Photo by Army Staff Sgt. Andrew H. Owen, Virginia Guard Public Affairs)
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