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Three Fallen Arizona Soldiers to be Honored in NASCAR Crown Jewel Race on Sunday

Devon Henry

This Memorial Day Sunday, three Arizona service members who gave the ultimate sacrifice will be honored with a chance to have their names in Victory Lane in NASCAR’s longest race, the Coca-Cola 600.

Sergeant First Class Johnathan B. McCain, Sergeant First Class Glen Jacob Whetten, and Sergeant Martin Anthony Lugo Jr. will be proudly displayed on the cars of the sport’s top competitors. Together, they will ride for 600 miles at Charlotte Motor Speedway, with a chance to finish the night in Victory Lane in one of NASCAR’s crown jewel events. These Arizona heroes will make up three of the 39 names on the windshields of the best race car drivers in the world. All three soldiers served in the United States Army and were killed in action between 2010 and 2011 during their respective deployments in Afghanistan.

The Coke 600, formerly known as the World 600, has long been one of NASCAR’s most valuable races to win, the longest race on the schedule, and is elevated with tributes to America’s fallen service members each year. The honoring is part of NASCAR’s 600 Miles of Remembrance, an annual Memorial Day weekend tradition where each car honors a specific hero across all branches of the American military who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country with their name on the top of the windshield, where the driver’s name typically resides. This year’s Memorial Day weekend tributes also honor America’s 250th anniversary as the NASCAR Salutes 250 Together with Coca-Cola.

United States Army Sergeant First Class Johnathan B. McCain will aim for victory lane as he rides along with the defending winner of the Coke 600, Ross Chastain, and the Trackhouse Racing No. 1 car. As a child in Chandler, Sgt. 1st Class McCain accompanied his mother, a volunteer for a POW/MIA Support group, and drew pictures for the veterans who had served in Vietnam and Korea.

“After meeting these veterans, he decided he wanted to become part of the military to defend our rights by serving in the United States Armed Forces. He was a true Patriot,” Sgt. 1st Class McCain’s wife, Leanne, said. Leanne described her husband as a “silent warrior,” who was deeply humbled when she accidentally discovered the service medals he had hidden away, among them, a Purple Heart and four Bronze Stars. On November 13, 2011, during his third deployment, Sgt. 1st Class McCain was killed in action when his Stryker Brigade was on mounted patrol and an improvised explosive device detonated. He was posthumously awarded a second Purple Heart.

“This weekend is not for me as much as for these families and to always remember,” Chastain told Sports360AZ. “Bringing the past and remembering, is the reason we’re doing it.”

In 2023, Sgt. 1st Class McCain’s daughter, Ashlyn, was named a recipient of the Folds of Honor Foundation scholarship, a group that has awarded nearly 73,000 educational scholarships to the spouses and children of America’s fallen or disabled military service members and first responders. Ashlyn graduated from the University of Central Florida in 2019 with a degree in English and a minor in Theatre through the help of Folds of Honor. Ashlyn plans to attend the race on Sunday with Chastain’s sponsor, Jockey, placing the Folds of Honor logo on the No. 1 car’s special paint scheme as well.

“That’s impactful that this work is bigger than this race. Knowing that [Folds of Honor is] continuing to invest in these families that are without their loved ones, that for me is what makes it even cooler,” Chastain said.

United States Army Sergeant First Class Glen Jacob Whetten will ride aboard with 2022 Daytona 500 Champion, Austin Cindric, and the Team Penske No. 2 car. Originally born in Nuevo Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, Mexico, Sergeant First Class Glen Jacob Whetten was raised in Phoenix, attending Roosevelt Elementary Schools and graduating from South Mountain High School. After graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and was among the first soldiers to enter Iraq with U.S. forces. He later spent four and a half years serving as a Ranger Instructor before deploying to Afghanistan.

Sgt. 1st Class Glen J. Whetten died March 12 near Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an IED. During his time serving our country, Sgt. 1st Class Whetten received a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star.

“It’s an honor to be able to represent Sgt. 1st Class Glen Jacob Whetten and his family,” Cindric said. “I’m proud to carry and honor his name on the No. 2 Ford Mustang this weekend and pay respect to his service to our nation. The Coca-Cola 600 is one of the most patriotic events we’re part of all year, and the military recognition and pre-race ceremonies at Charlotte are always incredibly impactful for everyone involved.”

United States Army Sergeant Martin Anthony Lugo Jr. will lead the way for the first Mexican-born winner in the NASCAR Cup Series, Daniel Suárez, and the Spire Motorsports No. 7 car. From Tucson, Sergeant Lugo Jr. served as a Squad Leader with Company C, 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment.

As a highly decorated Ranger, Sgt. Lugo received the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Purple Heart, and numerous additional awards recognizing his courage, leadership, and dedication to his fellow soldiers and his country. In his service to our country, he completed six combat deployments, including missions in Afghanistan and Iraq. Sgt. Lugo was posthumously awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action during Operation Enduring Freedom after leading his team under heavy enemy fire and saving the lives of five fellow soldiers.

 

The 600 Miles of Remembrance remains one of the greatest traditions in NASCAR. On one of motorsport’s grandest and most historic stages, the families and legacies of Sergeant First Class McCain, Sergeant First Class Whetten, and Sergeant Lugo Jr., are honored with a chance to be celebrated in Victory Lane. A holiday weekend turned into a high speed, living memorial, celebrates the lives, bravery, and invaluable contributions of three of Arizona’s finest and ensures that their ultimate sacrifices are never forgotten.

The green flag drops on NASCAR’s longest race of the year and crown jewel event, the Coca-Cola 600, Sunday at 3:00 pm Arizona time on Prime Video.

NASCAR returns to the Grand Canyon State for three days of action across four series at Phoenix Raceway from October 16-18 as a critical round of NASCAR’s rebranded postseason, The Chase. The NASCAR Cup Series headlines the weekend on Sunday, October 18. The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, NASCAR Truck Series, and ARCA Menards West Series will also take to the track on October 16 and 17.

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Arizona native, Devon Henry, joined the Sports360AZ crew in 2018 after graduating from Arizona State's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism & Mass Communication. Devon has avidly partaken in coverage of the Arizona high school sports scene since 2013 and has covered NASCAR and INDYCAR at Phoenix Raceway since 2017. Devon is also a play-by-play announcer, calling over a dozen different sports and hundreds of events.

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