June 10, 2008 Candrea Thomas Kennedy Space Center, Fla. 321-867-2468 candrea.k.thomas@nasa.gov John Yembrick Headquarters, Washington 202-358-0602 john.yembrick-1@nasa.gov RELEASE: M08-116 NASA TO HOST DAYTONA 500 MEDIA DAY AT KENNEDY SPACE CENTER CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In honor of NASA's 50th anniversary and the 50th running of NASCAR's Daytona 500 in February, NASA's Kennedy Space Center will host a media day Tuesday, June 17, starting at 11:30 a.m. EDT. The event will include the winner of this year's race, Ryan Newman. During the event, NASA will present NASCAR with two green racing flags that were flown last February aboard space shuttle Atlantis' STS-122 mission to the International Space Station. One flag will be given to Newman, the second will be presented to Daytona International Speedway President Robin Braig. A third flag that was flown will be kept by NASA for public display. At the event, Newman will drive the crawler-transporter, the huge tracked vehicle that carries space shuttles to the launch pad. The flag presentation ceremony will be at Launch Pad 39A. Following the ceremony, a news media question-and-answer session will be held at the pad. Afterward, there will be a separate interview opportunity for print media in Kennedy's news center auditorium. Media planning to attend the event should arrive at Kennedy's news center by 10:30 a.m. All event participants must dress in full-length pants, flat shoes that entirely cover the feet, and shirts with sleeves. Media without permanent Kennedy credentials should submit their request online by Friday, June 13, at: https://media.ksc.nasa.gov The connection between NASA and Daytona's International Speedway extends beyond their close proximity to one another. During recent years, technology developed for the space program has found many uses on Earth, including helping NASCAR drivers stay safe and increase performance. Video B-roll of the event will air on NASA Television's Video File segment starting Tuesday afternoon. For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv For more information about the Daytona International Speedway, visit: http://daytonainternationalspeedway.com -end- To subscribe to the list, send a message to: ksc-subscribe@newsletters.nasa.gov To remove your address from the list, send a message to: ksc-unsubscribe@newsletters.nasa.gov
