NASCAR and Honor and Remember have officially partnered to bring Gold Star families to tracks across the country
The partnership, through NASCAR IMPACT, was celebrated at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 15, where the Honor and Remember flag was unfurled as part of pre-race ceremonies ahead of the NASCAR Xfinity Series United Rentals 300.
“NASCAR is a uniquely patriotic sport, and as such, we feel an incredible responsibility to make sure that these heroes are not forgotten as time goes by,” said NASCAR Chief Impact Officer Eric Nyquist. “Through this partnership, our goal is to keep the memory of these brave men and women alive in the hearts of all of our fans, and to let these families know how much they are appreciated.”
Honor and Remember – a Virginia-based non-profit whose mission is to “publicly honor and remember every American fallen service member and recognize the enduring sacrifice of every family” hosted the families of Army Spc. Daniel J. Agami, who was killed in action in Iraq in 2007, and Army Cpl. Jimmy L. Shelton, who lost his life in Iraq in 2005 at the track the weekend of Feb. 15.
“Daniel loved all things fast. Everything Daniel did in life was fast, so he would have absolutely loved this,” said Beth Becker-Agami, Daniel’s mother.
A native of Coconut Creek, Fla., Agami enlisted in the Army in 2005. An avid reader who was lauded for his heroism under fire, he was awarded the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star, the Good Conduct Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Iraqi Campaign Medal, the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, and the Army Commendation Medal during his time in uniform. Agami was killed in action by an improvised explosive device in Adhamiya, Iraq in 2007.
“Being at the Daytona 500 like this is the last thing we could have imagined,” added Becker-Agami. “It’s all that we ask, is for Daniel to be honored and remembered.”
Shelton, a lifelong NASCAR fan and cavalry scout assigned to the 101st Airborne Division from Lehigh Acres, Fla., was 21 when his unit came under mortar fire in Bayji, Iraq in 2005. His actions in combat earned him a posthumous Bronze Star and Purple Heart.
“Anybody that walked in the house, the first thing I would do is grab them and say, ‘Whatever you do, I want you to promise me right now that you will not stop talking about Jimmy,’ because I was so afraid he would be forgotten,” said Shelton’s mother, Billi-Jo Shelton. “So for NASCAR to have us come to Daytona to recognize Jimmy… it means so much to know that he’s still remembered.”
NASCAR has welcomed Gold Star families to tracks across the country in conjunction with Honor and Remember for over a decade. More than 20 families will be hosted at NASCAR events throughout the 2025 season.
“As a Gold Star father myself, I know firsthand the incredible impact that it has on these families when thousands and thousands of people take a moment to pause and recognize their sons and daughters for their sacrifice,” said Honor and Remember Founder George Lutz.
The Honor and Remember Flag has been adopted by 28 states as an official public symbol of the sacrifice made by service men and women from all branches of the armed forces.
NASCAR IMPACT was introduced by the league in 2023. Last year, NASCAR launched partnerships with American Corporate Partners, which provides one-on-one career mentorship for transitioning service members, Sound Off – a technology-based non-profit that provides mental health support for veterans and other members of the military community, and VetTheVote – a nonprofit that recruits veterans to serve as national nonpartisan poll workers.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.