June 2010

Fatherhood Awards™ coming to NASCAR!

Gentlemen, start your engines! This Father’s Day, National Fatherhood Initiative will give Fatherhood Awards™ to NASCAR drivers Jeff Burton, Juan Pablo Montoya, and Michael Waltrip at the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at the Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, CA.

As part of the pre-race ceremonies, NFI’s Senior Vice President of National Programming, Chris Brown, will hand the dads their awards for their dedication to their children and their ability to balance their careers and family lives. The track’s PA announcer will tell the crowd about NFI and why the three dads are deserving of the coveted Fatherhood Award™.

The three dads were featured in a recent USA Weekend cover story about how NASCAR may be the most family-friendly sport in America. Families often travel together, and kids are able to experience part their dads' work lives in ways that most other kids are not.

Meet the drivers

	"It’s a real honor to be acknowledged by the National Fatherhood Initiative. My family is the most important thing in the world to me, and I strive to be the best father I can be to my two children" - Jeff Burton
	"This is a special award for me because the only thing that I love more than racing is my family.  I value the time I can spend with them at home in Miami and enjoy every weekend that I can have them travel with me." - Juan Pablo Montoya
	"My dad was always there for me. He always made sure whenever I needed any help or guidance he provided it. I always appreciated the fact that I could turn to him. I’ve tried to do the same with my two daughters." - Michael Waltrip

Burton, Montoya, and Waltrip will join a long list of celebrities and athletes (including NASCAR driver Dale Jarrett) that have received the Fatherhood Award™, dating back to 1997. Past awardees include country music superstar Tim McGraw, actor James Earl Jones, former NFL coach Tony Dungy, and journalist Tim Russert.

The race will be broadcast on TNT on Sunday, June 20 (Father’s Day) at 2 p.m. While the pre-race ceremony is not broadcast live, listen in for the pre-race show and the race announcers to discuss the award and possibly show footage throughout the broadcast.