NASCAR Camping World Truck Series drivers Joey Coulter and Johanna Long spent Tuesday and Wednesday talking with local students about something they are very familiar with – the importance of staying in school. Both of the young drivers are currently students and talked about the important role that education plays in their careers in racing.
Coulter and Long visited seven elementary schools in Darlington County sharing stories from the track and the classroom with students ranging from kindergarten to fifth grade. Long is currently finishing up her high school degree attending home school classes while Coulter works to complete his Mechanical Engineering degree at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte.
“Visiting all of the school kids in Darlington really got me more excited to come back and race next weekend,” said Coulter. “It meant a lot to me to have the opportunity to talk to them about achieving my dream and how staying in school helped and still helps me do that now.”
“It’s really great to be able to talk to the next generation of NASCAR fans and Darlington Raceway fans,” said Long. “Without them, drivers like me and Joey, the Rookie class this year, wouldn’t be here. I still can’t believe, at 18, that I’m an inspiration just yet! The kids we met today were so polite and were so honest in their questions. It’s awesome to share our sport with them, our experiences on and off the racetrack. Staying in school is the foundation for a solid career, and it’s what my parents instilled in me. I hope the kids saw that and can learn from it.”
After putting in time in the classroom, the drivers participated in a media tour of South Carolina making stops in the Florence/Myrtle Beach market as well as the state’s Capitol city of Columbia to promote the upcoming Too Tough To Tame 200 that will be run at Darlington Raceway on March 12. The family-friendly event is scheduled to begin at 5:00 pm and is a unique opportunity for fans to enjoy a one-day show at the Lady in Black. Tickets for the event include access to all practice and qualifying sessions beginning at 9:00 am and are still available starting at just $15 for adults, kids 17 and under are admitted free.
You can keep up with all of the latest news from Darlington Raceway at DarlingtonRaceway.com, on Facebook at Facebook.com/DarlingtonRaceway and on Twitter at Twitter.com/TooToughToTame.
Darlington Raceway, or the track “Too Tough To Tame” as it is known to many, is where the purest of NASCAR competition meets true southern hospitality. A NASCAR staple since 1950, Darlington Raceway has seen some of motorsports most talented drivers thunder to Gatorade Victory Lane. The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will kick off the 2011 racing season at Darlington on March 12, 2011. On Mother’s Day weekend, May 6-7, 2011, NASCAR’s biggest stars return to battle the track “Too Tough To Tame” in the Sprint Cup Series SHOWTIME Southern 500® and Nationwide Series Royal Purple 200.
Darlington Raceway
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