Less than two weeks before taking to the high banks of Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Coca-Cola 600, 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion and Coca-Cola Racing Family driver Chase Elliott took to the high seas Tuesday during the final stop of the 2025 Mission 600 campaign.
Mission 600, which serves as a prelude to the spectacular pre-race salute to the U.S. Armed Forces ahead of the Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend, pairs NASCAR drives with regional military branches to experience a day in the life of the brave men and women who defend our country.
During his visit, Elliott toured the U.S. Coast Guard Station Wrightsville Beach, part of U.S. Coast Guard Sector North Carolina, whose primary missions range from Search and Rescue, Marine Safety and Ports and Waterways Coastal Security to Marine Environmental Protection, Aids to Navigation, Maritime Law Enforcement and Recreational Boating Safety. The Hendrick Motorsports driver participated in a mock search-and-rescue mission, de-watered a simulated vessel in distress and took the helm of a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium (RB-M).
“I think in anything that you do, really, the people, is what makes it special,” Elliott said after the visit. “This unit here was it was no different. The crew was just extremely professional. Any time you have an opportunity to hang around individuals like that and see what they do on a on a daily basis, it makes my job a lot of fun. I hope they enjoyed it as much as I did.”
Elliott’s visit came ahead of National Boater Safety Week, May 17-23. In addition to serving as an opportunity to educate Elliott and the public about the importance of boater safety – emphasizing wearing life jackets and boater awareness on the water – the event provided a great morale boost for the unit.
“We run duty crews here, 24/7,” said Chief Petty Officer Parker Hofmann. “We just kind of ran him through all the missions and everything that we respond to on a day-to-day basis here. Kind of how our life is, what we do for fun, what we do for training, what we do to prepare us for the missions.
“We have some big NASCAR fans here, and they were excited to be able to meet him, interact with him. It really boosted the morale and I think going forward, he definitely earned some fans here today.”
For Elliott, the feeling was mutual, and drives home what it means to race in the Coca-Cola 600 – one of NASCAR’s crown jewel events, on Memorial Day Weekend.
“I have always felt like NASCAR – and Charlotte Motor Speedway in particular – has always done a really good job of showcasing and showing that appreciation that we, as the industry have for our servicemen and women around the world,” Elliott said. “I think it's really special to be a part of a sport that has that type of showcasing, on a yearly basis. And it seems like it just gets bigger and better every year. It really makes me proud to be a part of it.”
TICKETS:
Limited tickets are still available for the May 23-25 Coca-Cola 600 weekend online at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com or by calling the ticket office at 1-800-455-FANS (3267). Tickets include access to two concerts, with Hairball (Friday) and Smash Mouth (Saturday). Sunday’s infield pre-race concert by Old Dominion is free with a Coca-Cola 600 race ticket.
