Drivers from the NHRA and NASCAR will compete in a slow-pitch softball game for charity on Wednesday, April 17th at CMC-Northeast Stadium in Kannapolis, North Carolina. There will also be a post-game concert by country singer Darrell Harwood, who will sing the National Anthem before the game.
Proceeds from the event will be donated to charities specifically selected by each team: NASCAR drivers have selected The Armed Forces Foundation, while NHRA drivers have designated Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
Among the participants on the NASCAR team: Kurt Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Clint Bowyer, Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth, Michael Waltrip, Darrell Waltrip, David Ragan, Brad Sweet, and Parker Kligerman. From the NHRA: Top Fuel stars Tony Schumacher, Brandon Bernstein, Antron Brown, JR Todd, Shawn Langdon, Clay Millican, and Bob Vandergriff, along with Funny Car drivers Courtney Force, Ron Capps, Del Worsham, Chad Head, and Matt Hagan. More drivers may be announced in the coming weeks.
Vandergriff and Busch set up the game. “A lot of us on the NHRA and NASCAR sides of racing know each other, but our hectic racing schedules don’t allow us to get together very often,” said Vandergriff. “Kurt and I started talking about this, and before you knew it we had a plan, then we were talking to our fellow drivers in each series, and it all started to come together. Early on in the process, the Kannapolis Intimidators minor league baseball team came on board, and once we had a professional venue in place we knew we could make this happen. Our NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing series will be at zMAX Dragway, in Concord, on April 19th through 21st, for the Dollar General 4-Wide Nationals, so that gave our drivers a chance to all come in a little early to do this, have some fun, raise some donations, and promote our sport.
“It will be great to generate some money for two good causes, but on top of that it’s going to be a lot of fun to square off against those guys in the game and I know it’s going to be great for the fans, at least in a comedy sense,” continued Vandergriff. “We’re going to have an autograph session before the game, and with the Darrell Harwood concert afterward it will be a great night for everyone in attendance. I do think our NASCAR brothers have one built-in advantage, though, because they already know how to keep turning left until you get back home. I’m going to have to make sure my guys don’t just keep on going straight, all the way to the right field fence.”
Tickets are $20 for reserved seats, $15 for general admission, and are on sale now here.
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