Ford Racing held its first ever Proud to Honor Veterans Day Classic on Wednesday at Daytona International Speedway. In addition to live music, food, and other festivities, the event included a race featuring 12 Ford drivers representing the six branches of the U.S. military.
The race, a 30-minute dash on Daytona's road course configuration, was won by NASCAR Cup Series driver Austin Cindric. With each branch having two drivers representing them, Cindric took the victory for the U.S. Air Force.
The win came down to a heated battle between Cindric and Robert Noaker, a Ford development driver and sports car racer representing the Marine Corps. The two drivers traded the lead in the closing laps before Cindric pulled out to a comfortable and commanding advantage when it counted most.
“I finally have something to put on the center of the Christmas card, so I did win a race this year after all the talk," Cindric said. "It was an awesome event. It was a great turnout. Huge kudos to everyone at Ford Racing and Daytona for putting something like this on for the veterans. The response has been really cool and awesome to honor the Air Force with a win tonight.”
Two of the race's marquee competitors were forced to withdraw due to injuries sustained in the buildup. Longtime actor and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Frankie Muniz was hospitalized in a practice crash. NASCAR Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney was injured in a fall while celebrating his win in the season finale on Sunday. They were replaced by Jenson Altzman and Robert Noaker respectively.
Several other stars familiar to Daytona crowds participated in the event. 2026 Coke Zero Sugar 400 winner Ryan Preece finished third, representing the U.S. Navy. 2016 Coke Zero Sugar 400 winner Brad Keselowski placed fifth for the U.S. Army. 2015 Daytona 500 winner Joey Logano came home seventh, followed by 2017 Rolex 24 winner Joey Hand.
“It was a good time. I had fun, but those two got away and I just had a good time," added Preece. "Driving these Mustang Dark Horses around here was tough. It was a good time and running around the Daytona road course where every January I get to watch some of the greats run the Rolex 24. It was great to be a part of it. I really appreciate Ford for putting this event on and honoring our troops. I wish we could have won it for the Navy, but certainly had a good time."
Aside from the racing, the Proud to Honor Veterans Day Classic featured musical performances from Zac Brown Band, Nelly, Russell Dickerson, Jo Dee Messina, and Warren Zeiders. Radio star Bobby Bones was on-hand to host the event for the USA Network, and television icons Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) and Adam Scherr (Everything On The Menu) joined the festivities as well.
