THURSDAY, December 3: Drivers visit Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany

NHRA drivers Morgan Lucas, Erica Enders, Doug Horne, and Spencer Massey had a memorable Thursday visiting wounded military
personnel at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center and the USO Wounded Warrior Center in Germany. Landstuhl is the first major stop for wounded servicemen and women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan and is the largest U.S. hospital facility outside the United States.

"I think we all learned something very valuable today," said Lucas, driver of the GEICO Powersports/Lucas Oil dragster. "There is simply no way we can ever thank our troops enough for what they do for us. To meet the people we met today, some with pretty bad injuries, and see how gung-ho they are for our country makes you re-think everything. It's so humbling that these people do what they do for all of us.

"I just turned 26 and I'm the youngest guy in Top Fuel but I was older than a lot of the guys and girls in the hospital. What they do and the attitude they have at such a young age is impressive. This is the neatest thing I've ever done and we're already making plans for next year."

THURSDAY, December 3: Drivers visit Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany

NHRA drivers Morgan Lucas, Erica Enders, Doug Horne, and Spencer Massey had a memorable Thursday visiting wounded military
personnel at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center and the USO Wounded Warrior Center in Germany. Landstuhl is the first major stop for wounded servicemen and women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan and is the largest U.S. hospital facility outside the United States.

"I think we all learned something very valuable today," said Lucas, driver of the GEICO Powersports/Lucas Oil dragster. "There is simply no way we can ever thank our troops enough for what they do for us. To meet the people we met today, some with pretty bad injuries, and see how gung-ho they are for our country makes you re-think everything. It's so humbling that these people do what they do for all of us.

"I just turned 26 and I'm the youngest guy in Top Fuel but I was older than a lot of the guys and girls in the hospital. What they do and the attitude they have at such a young age is impressive. This is the neatest thing I've ever done and we're already making plans for next year."

GEICO Powersports, Lucas Oil, Toyota, and Mach 1 Global Services are supporting this USO tour, which is being hosted by members of the Armed Forces Entertainment group.

"Germany is a very cool place and everywhere we've gone they just couldn’t be nicer to us," said Horne, rider of the Dragster Buell Pro Stock Motorcycle. "All the stops are special but visiting the hospital and the rehab center today will stick with me for a long time. I even had a fan in there! This guy from Romania, he didn't speak English, but when I walked in his hospital room he sat straight up and said, 'Motorcycle star!' and gave it some throttle with his hands. How cool is that? This has been such an awesome experience."

The drivers were led throughout the entire complex, including the incoming Intensive Care Unit, the emergency room, the burn wing, the rehabilitation center, and the recreation area.

"At one point we just sat down with all the soldiers and started trading stories," said Massey, NHRA's reigning Rookie of the Year. "We wanted to hear about their time in the war zone and they wanted to hear what it's like to drive a car 300 mph or ride a motorcycle at 200 mph; it was just like sitting down with a bunch of friends.

"Some of these guys have been to hell and back. The situations they were fighting through and the bad guys they encounter out there, well let's just say I'm glad they're doing what they do so we can do what we do in this country, like race dragsters every weekend."

"What blows you away more than anything is the team spirit they all have," added Enders, driver of the Dragster Ford Mustang Pro Stock car. "They can't wait to get better so they can go back to their units. They miss their friends."

Another highlight of the day was when the group participated in a ceremony for a young Marine that was being promoted to Staff Sergeant.

"This NHRA group is very special," said Master Gunnery Sergeant Frank Bellini, a liaison for the tour. "I've been fortunate enough to be on the receiving end of numerous USO visits when I was in theater but this foursome has really made a mark on me. They have gone above and beyond the call of duty to make our fighting men and women feel so special.

"They are not only fantastic ambassadors for all of their wonderful sponsors but outstanding representatives of the sport of drag racing and the NHRA organization. I plan to personally write a letter to Mr. Tom Compton and let him know how Morgan, Spencer, Doug, and Erica have impacted people here. They've made a difference."

WEDNESDAY, December 2 - USO-sponsored NHRA Tour lifting spirits across Germany

NHRA stars Morgan Lucas, Spencer Massey, Doug Horne, and Erica Enders are hard at work spreading holiday cheer to U.S. troops
in the European theater.

Braving snowy conditions and chilly temperatures, the foursome of drivers have had an eventful trip so far, visiting Army and Air Force personnel at a variety of stops in southwest Germany. As is usually the case when meeting the brave men and women of our Armed Services, the USO-sponsored tour has had a profound impact on the drivers.

"It hits home when you're here," said Lucas, driver of the GEICO Powersports/Lucas Oil dragster. "It's more than you expect. The way we're being treated and welcomed everywhere is special. We're over here to make these guys feel better but I have to tell you, they've done nothing but lift us up since we've arrived."

This NHRA tour is receiving support from GEICO Powersports, Lucas Oil, Toyota, and Mach 1 Global Services.

Based out of the tiny village of Miesenbach, Germany, just outside the gates of Ramstein Air Force Base, the NHRA tour first visited the U.S. Army Garrison in Weisbaden, Germany, where they were met by a welcoming party led by Colonel Jeffery Dill, the base commander. Colonel Dill honored the NHRA drivers with a Commander's Coin and Certificate of Appreciation during a brief ceremony.

The drivers then met several soldiers and signed commemorative hero cards while
posing for pictures and answering questions about life in the fast lane.

"I was impressed by how much they knew about drag racing," said Enders, driver of the Dragster Ford Mustang Pro Stock car. "They really keep up with our sport; you can tell by the questions they were asking. I also met a lot of Ford fans that can't wait for my team to get our Mustang in the winner's circle. I told them, 'me too.'

"Everyone has been so cool to use and it's neat to see their faces light up when we walk into their barracks in our race shirts."

The next stop was the BOSS recreation hall, where single soldiers are able to spend their free time playing games, e-mailing home, or just watching television. Several members of the local media caught up with the drivers there and conducted interviews about NHRA drag racing and their visit to Germany.

After that, Lucas and Enders were taken into the television studios of the Armed Forces Network to tape promotional spots and commercials that will be shown around the world on AFN. Meanwhile, Horne and Massey went live on-air with Armed Forces Radio to send holiday greetings to soldiers, airmen, seamen, and Marines fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. The pairings then swapped places to give everyone a chance to spread the NHRA message.

"You just want to tell everyone you meet how much you appreciate them and what they're doing for all of us back home," said Massey, the newly-crowned Rookie of the Year who drives the Snake Racing dragster. "By getting on TV and radio, we were able to reach so many people that we just can't meet in person. That was a great opportunity for us and we took advantage of it.

"I'm having the trip of my life. It's such a cool deal and I wish we could stay with all these different groups for days instead of hours. We're making lots of great connections."

Links to the promotional spots recorded by the NHRA drivers will soon be available for viewing on www.afneurope.net.

The tour continued on to the 21st Operational Weather Squadron in Sembach, Germany, where the 603rd Support Group of Chiefs and Master Chiefs serving in the 3rd Air Force welcomed them. Once again, the drivers were presented Commander's Coins and Certificates of Appreciation.

"The Weather Squadron was awesome to see," said Horne, rider of the Horne Racing Buell V-Twin Pro Stock Motorcycle. "They monitor all the weather in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, so basically, when a unit needs to go on a mission they can prepare themselves for the weather they're going to encounter. If you think about it, that stuff is very important to the support they can receive from the air and ground. It all works together and it was wild to see."

After visiting everyone there, the tour went to a special PAX terminal at the Ramstein airport where wounded military personnel are prepared for the return flight to the United States.

Up next is a full day at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center and the USO Wounded Warrior Center.

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