¿Our goal is to educate people about the dangers of hearing loss while attending a race. We want fans to have fun, just do it safely and wear the proper hearing protection,¿ said Susan Wilson, a Charlotte Regional Resource Center specialist. ¿Attending a race, a concert or mowing the grass without adequate hearing protection can cause permanent hearing loss.¿
A group of volunteers will tour the garage area Tuesday afternoon and hand out educational materials and free earplugs to the drivers and crew members.
In addition, volunteers will man a booth on the concourse where fans can learn what causes hearing loss and how to prevent it. The group will also distribute up to 1,000 pairs of children¿s earplugs with educational literature over the next two weeks at the Hardee¿s Summer Shootout. Adult earplugs are available for purchase in the Lowe¿s Motor Speedway gift shop.
According to Wilson, approximately one million people in North Carolina are hard of hearing. The Charlotte Regional Resource Center works to enrich the lives of the hearing impaired and their families.
¿We don¿t want any more customers,¿ said Wilson, ¿This is why we want to remind people of the dangers of noise.¿
The Hardee¿s Summer Shootout Series is scheduled each Tuesday night through Aug. 17. The program features three classes of Bandolero racing, three divisions of Legends Cars and the popular Thunder Roadsters. Admission is just $5 for adults. Children 6-12 are admitted for $3 and kids under 6 are free. Parking is also free. Contact the speedway ticket office at 1-800-455-FANS for information or to purchase tickets.
