Curtiss Shaver earned the naming rights for the Crown Royal “Your Hero’s Name Here” race at Indianpolis Motor Speedway.
2012 Super Weekend’s Brickyard 400 will welcome a new winner to the track…without him ever taking a lap – hero Curtiss Shaver. When local firefighters saved Troy native Curtiss Shaver’s life during a tragic farming accident, Shaver knew he’d found his calling. Though the accident claimed the lower part of his left leg, Shaver persevered and began a lifelong career as a firefighter and certified EMT with the goal of giving back to his community.
The official race title to be used throughout the national television broadcast and incorporated into race memorabilia as well as the race winner’s trophy will be the Crown Royal Presents the Curtiss Shaver 400 at the Brickyard powered by Big MachineRecords.com.
Watch the emotional announcement:
Shaver, a local firefighter and certified EMT, is a husband and father of three. His career in the field began as a volunteer, less than two years after his farming accident. This sense of hard work and dedication were major components of his contest nomination, submitted by fellow Fire Lieutenant Brandy Cox. Curtiss will go down in sports history on July 29th when the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) is renamed in his honor, courtesy of Crown Royal.
The whisky brand brought a piece of the renowned Brickyard to the fire lieutenant’s hometown on Wednesday, laying a ceremonial Yard of Bricks at the Troy Fire Department during a surprise ceremony announcing Shaver as the winner of the annual “Your Hero’s Name Here” 400 program.
This race will mark the sixth time Crown Royal has awarded race naming rights to an adult fan. This year, the program focused on all of the unsung heroes who make a difference in their communities, from firefighters and police officers, to first responders and local volunteers. Five heroes were chosen as finalists and adult fans visited the Crown Royal Facebook page to cast their votes for the person they felt was most deserving of the honor.
As part of the grand-prize package, Shaver will ride in the pre-race pace car, deliver the trophy bearing his name to the race winner in Victory Lane, and kiss the bricks following the race. Through a partnership with IMS, country music artists from Big Machine Label Group including The Band Perry, The Mavericks, Justin Moore and Greg Bates will play special concerts at the track to honor Shaver throughout the race weekend.