With the Super Bowl come and gone, the next big sporting event in the United States comes in NASCAR at the Daytona 500 in Florida to kick off the 2024 racing season.
But before the race cars hit Daytona International Speedway, one of the teams ready to compete in the Sunshine State is excited to give back to the community.
Kaulig Racing, alongside the NASCAR Foundation, is once again powering the Speediatrics Fun Day Festival at Daytona, which is an event that the racing team told Fox Business Digital they love doing each year, especially when they surprise the Boys & Girls Club of the area with new bikes at the racetrack.
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"We did it in Daytona last year," Kaulig Racing owner Matt Kaulig told Fox Business Digital via Zoom. "It’s just an awesome event that they put on down there every year. The whole bike build thing is super exciting."
Kaulig said 22 volunteers from his team will travel to Daytona to participate in the bike build, adding that the "kids have a blast" while doing STEM activities on the track before the grand surprise.
Kaulig Racing President Chris Rice loves being hands-on with this event, especially considering it is the next generation they are affecting.
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"I think about my kids and how fortunate I am with my kids," he explained. "I feel like if I can help one family, I can make somebody smile, to give back to them, I’ve done my job, and I know that I feel good about myself. Giving back is the biggest thing that we’re a part of now."
"Let’s go build the thing, talk to them, tell them how important they are, learn how to ride this bike, be responsible, listen to your parents. That’s what it’s about."
NASCAR Foundation Executive Director Nichole Krieger was all smiles when talking about the Speediatrics Fun Day Festival because Daytona is only the first of many to come in 2024.
Krieger explained how teams like Kaulig Racing make it easy to give back to the youth across the country through the love of NASCAR and the sense of community that's so vital to the sport.
"It’s kind of amazing how things grow in our sport, and you don’t have to ask someone twice to help you," Krieger said. "They’ll just rally around something. … We do these bike builds this year. Usually around 100, 125 bikes per build. So I’m like, ‘I need people to help us build bikes,’ and the crew guys, they come out. The funniest thing is they say, ‘We’re building our own tools, Nichole.’"
"That sense of community and the sense of coming together to build something, like a bike, in our sport is second to none compared to all the sports and all the leagues."
For drivers like Kaulig Racing's Josh Williams, giving back is an essential part of why he races.
Williams joined Kaulig Racing this season to race in their No. 11 car in the Xfinity Series, and after doing hospital visits of his own throughout the years, he finds that the impact goes further than just the kids.
"The first time I ever did a hospital tour was 2015," he said. "I was racing in the ARCA Series, and man, when I left, I cried for an hour. There’s so many kids and families. The parents, the grandparents, whoever it may be, you can see it on their face how they’re struggling or going through a hard time. The kids, they wake up and they’re just ready to go. It’s cool to see them have that excitement, and it tears you apart."
From racing executives, to drivers, to pit crews, everyone will be involved in the special day on Thursday prior to all the races that are set to open up the 2024 season.
For Kaulig Racing, a team looking to make its mark in its third year racing in the Cup Series, Daytona is a place where they can make their mark on the track with drivers Daniel Hemric and A.J. Allmendinger driving in the 500.
But their philanthropic work, a key pillar for this team, will already speak volumes before the checkered flag is waved.
"I look at those kids when they get those bikes, and they’re so happy. Daytona does a really good job," Rice said.
