Waltrip, NAPA Team To Help Colorado Wildfire Victims

Mikey dons the helmet for charity

NASCAR Sprint Cup team co-owner Michael Waltrip will make a special delivery Saturday in Colorado. Waltrip and NAPA Toyota driver Martin Truex Jr. are asking race fans to participate in the NAPA KNOWS HOW TO CARE campaign to benefit victims of the wildfires which swept across Colorado last month.

Fans may participate by making PayPal donations to the American Red Cross at www.michaelwaltripracing.com from now until Sunday, July 29.

Waltrip and NAPA management will deliver a check for $25,000 from NAPA AUTO PARTS during ceremonies before Saturday’s NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at Colorado National Speedway. An additional check will be presented with the proceeds raised by online, local NAPA store efforts and at-track fundraising. Waltrip will be driving the No. 55 NAPA KNOWS HOW TO CARE Toyota in the event to raise awareness for the NAPA KNOWS HOW TO CARE program.

“We are racing in Denver and have this opportunity to show the great people of that region what NASCAR is all about,” said Waltrip. “We will be collecting donations from fans and partners and can deliver a message of support. Those fires cost more than $60 million to fight and burned more than 225,000 acres of land and they need our help.

“I love racing in the K&N West series events and it is a big weekend for NAPA which will be hosting almost 700 guests there. We wanted to do more than race, we wanted to help heal.”

Truex said raising money for the wildfire victims fits with NAPA’s effort to assist people in need.

“NAPA has done some great things helping families with the NAPA KNOWS HOW TO CARE program and I’m really proud to be able to join in helping the people of Colorado,” said Truex. “We have race fans all over the country and I know some of our fans lost their homes and personal belongings. They will have to rebuild and this is our small way of helping out.”

Waltrip will sign autographs at a NAPA fundraiser for the disaster relief fund Friday from 5-8 p.m. MST at the NAPA Denver Distribution Center, 2101 Highway 224, Denver, CO. NAPA will provide free hamburgers and hotdogs to the public. All donations can either be made in person at the fundraiser event, Colorado National Speedway, or you can simply text "RED CROSS" to the number 90999 to make a $10.00 donation.

"The wildfires have had a big impact on our state. Many of our friends and customers lives have been changed by this tragedy. This event is NAPA AUTO PARTS way of helping those in need and saying thank you to those who have risked their lives fighting these fires," said Will Rogers, District Manager of NAPA AUTO PARTS Denver Distribution Center.

“When disaster strikes, it’s hard to determine how to help, so we just hope by hosting this event and utilizing our resources we can help make a difference,” said Scott Carlson, General Manager of NAPA AUTO PARTS Denver Distribution Center.