LOUDON, N.H. - New Hampshire Motor Speedway officials distributed over $30,000 in rewards to 31 ticket holders, including six months of mortgage payments for one lucky fan, as part of its newly-implemented Fans Appreciation Economic Stimulus Program today.
The program was implemented for last month's LENOX Industrial Tools 301. The fans, drawn randomly from all ticket buyers for the race, were hosted at a recognition luncheon in Speedway Motorsports, Inc. Chairman O. Bruton Smith's trackside suite.
In appreciation for their support of NASCAR racing at New England's largest sports facility, the recipients were recognized for their loyalty to the speedway and were each presented with their reward. Twenty $500 Sunoco gas cards were given out, along with 10 pairs of luxury suite passes to the SYLVANIA 300 on September 14, 2008.
Joe Solloway was presented with the ultimate reward -a check that will cover six months of mortgage principal and interest on his family home in Manchester, N.H.
Joined by his wife Elise and their two young children Jarrod and Jenna at the luncheon, Mr. Solloway acknowledged he has been attending the NASCAR races since the track opened in 1990. Jenna, their younger child, has been fighting a rare case of neuroblastoma since she was two years old. The family must make frequent trips to Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City to provide Jenna with the necessary care. This reward will help ease the financial challenges they have faced in the past four years.
Jerry Gappens, executive vice president and general manager for the speedway, said that he was thrilled to be able to recognize all of the loyal fans of New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
"We are fortunate to have some of the best and most loyal fans of any sport right here at New Hampshire Motor Speedway," said Gappens. "It is appropriate to honor these valued ticket buyers for their support of the speedway and the sport of NASCAR. Fans are the backbone of our business and while each has some wonderful, compelling stories, I am thankful that fate brought the Solloway family to our attention and that we can share their story."
Winners of the $500 Sunoco Gas Cards were:
William Ashe - Williamstown, Vt.
Ray Ashenhurst - Nashua, N.H.
Norman Brooks - Northfield, N.H.
Brian Bulson - Poestenkill, N.Y.
Cecelia Cochran - Prospect, Conn.
Richard D'Ascoli - East Providence, R.I.
Tom George - Norton, Mass.
Karen Head - Epsom, N.H.
William Jackson - Oxford, Maine
Donna Lemieux - Methuen, Mass.
Joseph Morris - Rehoboth, Mass.
Mark Nevins - Boston, Mass.
Laurie Page - Haverhill, Mass.
Susan Rooker - Stony Brook, N.Y.
Craig Scholpp - East Kingston, N.H.
Dan Scott - Wakefield, Mass.
Rosetta Waters - Oswego, N.Y.
Leonard Willett - Auburn, N.H.
Richard Wood - Riverside, R.I.
Patricia Yandow - North Ferrisburgh, Vt.
Fans receiving Luxury Suite Passes were:
Peter Carlson - Newburyport, Mass.
Albert Chouinard - Epsom, N.H.
Robert Fuller - Chepachet, R.I.
Stephen Garfield - Worcester, Mass.
William Gordon - Burlington, Mass.
Patrick Hargreaves - Salem, N.H.
Steven Hill - Whitefield, N.H.
Priscilla Paquin - Chepachet, R.I.
David Parker - Chesterfield, Maine
Dean Plummer - New Gloucester, Maine
Gappens said the Fan Appreciation Economic Stimulus program will continue and that new rewards for SYLVANIA 300 tickets buyers will be unveiled in the next two weeks.
For more information, or to purchase tickets to the SYLVANIA 300 event weekend on September 11-14, go online to
http://www.nhms.com or call the speedway Ticket Hotline at (603) 783-4931.