SR2 Motorsports will host a very special family this week at Bristol Motor Speedway. Bill Halstead, whose son Tripp was critically injured when a large tree branch fell onto his head in Winder,Ga., will be attending the race with his brother as guests of the Buford, Ga.-based Nationwide Series team. SR2 Motorsports will also have special decals on each of its three cars to help raise awareness for Team BOOM, which was established to support the Halstead family.
Tripp made national headlines when a tree branch struck the two-year-old's head on October 29, 2012 while at his daycare facility. He has been at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite ever since and has undergone eight surgeries over the course of four months.
SR2 Motorsports team owner Jason Sciavicco was anxious to help when he learned of Tripp's situation. He reached out to the family and offered his team's assistance. He, along with Benny Gordon, SR2 Motorsports general manger and lead crew chief, and Blake Koch, driver of the No. 24 Toyota Camry visited Tripp in the hospital. In addition, they all participated in the Team BOOM charity golf tournament to help raise funds for the family. Sciavicco has committed to run special Team BOOM decals on all three of SR2 Motorsports' cars, the No. 00, No. 24 and No. 27, until Tripp returns home from the hospital.
"We're all very excited to have Bill and his brother join us at Bristol," Koch said. "I had the chance to visit with Tripp in the hospital. He's an awesome kid. It's so inspiring to see his strength and spirit. His family has been so supportive of him. They've been through so much and it will be nice for them to have a chance to come and enjoy the race with us."
The support for Tripp and his family has been tremendous. Over 325,000 people have joined his facebook page, where his mother Stacey sends updates on his condition. Several local businesses have hosted fundraisers to help pay for his care and numerous donations have been made to the family through the Team Boom website.
"It's been a long, hard road for Tripp and his family and we're glad to help in any way we can," Sciavicco said. "We're running special Team BOOM decals on all of our cars until he returns home. I hope that they rally the NASCAR community to support the cause and help the Halstead family. They're a great group and could certainly use some support."
Fans can catch the Jeff Foxworthy's Grit Chips 300 from Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday, Mar. 16 at 2 p.m. ET. The race will be broadcast on ESPN, and will be available on the radio from MRN and SiriusXM 90.
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