Whelen Engineering, a global leader in the emergency warning industry for more than 70 years, Richard Childress Racing (RCR), and the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) have teamed up to honor fallen fire heroes at the NASCAR Xfinity Series race on September 9, 2023, at Kansas Speedway.
RCR’s No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet will debut a special paint scheme in honor of the 144 firefighters who died in the line of duty in 2022, and in previous years. “We’re proud to support NFFF and help honor those who’ve lost their lives in the line of duty,” said RCR’s No. 2 driver, Sheldon Creed. All 144 names are memorialized on the deck lid of the car.
These names were added to the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial in May of this year. Each spring thousands of people gather in Emmitsburg, Maryland to participate in the annual Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend. This year’s events included a candlelight vigil, family activities, and the 2023 National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service. All 144 names were added to the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial and read aloud during the service. The event in Emmitsburg is the official national tribute to all firefighters who died in the line of duty.
“We are grateful that Whelen’s No. 2 Chevrolet will carry the names of the 144 fallen firefighters who died in the line of duty serving their local communities. The same 144 names were inscribed at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial this past May,” said NFFF CEO, Victor Stagnaro. “It means so much to our Fire Hero Families, and it’s a true demonstration of Whelen’s partnership with the mission of the NFFF: honoring our fallen heroes and supporting their families.”
Supporting first responders and their causes is an important part of Whelen’s company culture and many employees are first responders themselves. “We share a mission with NFFF to remember America’s fallen firefighters and the paint scheme on the No. 2 Chevrolet is a meaningful tribute to honor these fallen heroes,” said Whelen Engineering’s Director of Fire, EMS, and Amber Sales, Matt Kehoe. “We’re honored to bring support and awareness to them for the second year in a row.” In 2022 Whelen helped honor fallen firefighters at the NASCAR Xfinity Series Race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway when the No. 2 Chevrolet carried another special paint scheme honoring 148 fallen firefighters from 2021 and previous years.
The race begins at 3:00 pm ET from the Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas and can be watched on NBC.
Whelen has partnered with Richard Childress Racing for the past two years. The partnership includes sponsorship of the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet driven by Sheldon Creed for the entire 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series Schedule.
Whelen Engineering Company designs and manufactures reliable and powerful warning lights, white illumination lighting, sirens, controllers, and high-powered warning systems for Automotive, Aviation (Whelen Aerospace Technologies – WAT), and Mass Notification industries worldwide.
Whelen is also the official warning light supplier of NASCAR and a steadfast supporter of motorsports at many different levels including title sponsorship of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, NASCAR Whelen Euro Series, and sponsorship in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
