A Blood & Marrow Drive For Alabama

TALLADEGA, Ala. – Talladega Superspeedway is proud to announce that Laps For Life: A Blood & Marrow Drive For Alabama, will present its third annual blood and marrow drive on Thursday, Sept. 11, at the International Motorsports Hall of Fame and Museum. As an added donor recognition gift, track officials are offering up track rides and a trip to Gatorade Victory Lane for everyone who participates.

The blood & marrow drive will begin at the Speed Channel Dome in the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, where each participant and one guest will receive a special credential for the day that allows access to five different Pit Stops. Once all five Pit Stops are completed, the participants will have made a “Lap For Life” around Talladega Superspeedway.

The credential will be issued at Pit Stop 1, “Draw For Qualifying” where participants will register to have blood drawn for donation, thus qualifying them for the rest of the adventure. There, they also will receive a ticket qualifying them for spectacular door prizes, such as driving school certificates and racing memorabilia.

After presenting to give blood and/or registering for the National Marrow Donor Program Registry, participants will move on to Pit Stop 2, “Souvenir Row,” where they’ll receive a goody bag filled with special items to commemorate the occasion.

From there, they’ll move to Pit Stop 3, “Driver’s Meeting,” to learn more about the history of motorsports by taking a free tour of the International Motorsports Hall of Fame and Museum. After the tour, participants will venture outside to board a tour bus and be transported on a track tour of the famous Talladega Superspeedway. The tour will lead them to Pit Stop 4, “Type Testing.” Here, guests will be given a ride around the speedway in an official track vehicle, eventually ending in Gatorade Victory Lane for a photo opportunity.

Participants will return to the Hall of Fame for Pit Stop 5, “The Donor Diner,” where they will enjoy treats provided by Talladega Superspeedway sponsors.

Everyone who pre-registers online will receive a Talladega Superspeedway souvenir hat when they show up at the drive to donate. To register online, go to www.givelife.org and enter the keyword TALLADEGA in the search field. Follow instructions on the web site to complete registration.

Talladega Superspeedway Laps For Life: A Blood & Marrow Drive For Alabama, began in 2006 as part of a nationwide effort among multiple tracks. The NASCAR Foundation, in partnership with the American Red Cross, Hendrick Marrow Program and the Jimmie Johnson Foundation announced in June 2006 at Michigan International Speedway that it would build upon MIS’s annual Spirit of America 500 Blood Drive by providing unique experiences at many different tracks that bring out the goodwill and community pride in all race fans. In addition to giving blood, fans are also encouraged to join the National Marrow Donor Program’s Registry of volunteer marrow donors. Every day, thousands of patients with life-threatening diseases that could be treated with a marrow transplant are searching the Registry for a donor.

Talladega Superspeedway is busy preparing for the AMP Energy 500 event weekend, featuring 1,000 miles of racing at NASCAR’s Most Competitive Track with the ARCA RE/MAX Series 250 on Friday, Oct. 3, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Mountain Dew 250 on Saturday, Oct. 4 and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AMP Energy 500, race number four in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, on Sunday, Oct. 5. Tickets are available at www.talladegasuperspeedway.com or 1-877-Go2-DEGA. For our hearing impaired guests, please call TDD 1-866-ISC-TRAK (1-866-472-8725). Tickets also are available in person by visiting the Talladega Superspeedway Ticket Office from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. CDT, Monday- Friday.