Michael Waltrip Racing at The Diamond on April 23rd

RICHMOND, VA - The Richmond Flying Squirrels, Double-A Affiliate of the 2012 World Series Champion San Francisco Giants, are excited to announce that NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers Michael Waltrip and Martin Truex Jr. will make celebrity appearances at The Diamond on Tuesday, April 23rd for Richmond International Raceway Night presented by AAA. The two-time Daytona 500® winner Waltrip and Truex Jr. will be on hand for a variety of activities including an Impaired Driving Simulation Course conducted by the Virginia State Police and private meet and greet session in the PFG Picnic Zone. Both drivers will have the opportunity to throw out a first pitch before the game in advance of the ToyotaCare 250 Nationwide Series race later in the week. 

"This is some of the best news for me personally as I am a HUGE fan of both these guys," said Flying Squirrels Vice President and COO Todd "Parney" Parnell. "And now our fans will have a chance to interact with these icons leading up to the ToyotaCare 250 race at Richmond International Raceway. We also have a ton racing giveaways lined up to add to the fun."

Tickets for the game start as low as $7 each. Tickets for the exclusive Michael Waltrip and Martin Truex Jr. meet and greet in the PFG Picnic Zone are $35 each and include a two-hour all-you-can-eat buffet, a reserved Diamond Club seat down the third base line and a ticket to the ToyotaCare 250 Nationwide Series race on Friday April 26^th at RIR. Fans interested in this unique and limited experience may contact Ida Henley at [email protected] or 804-359-FUNN ext. 346

"AAA is thrilled to sponsor an event which combines our river city's love of baseball and NASCAR while honoring our heritage of more than 100 years of promoting safety on Virginia roadways, " said Martha Mitchell Meade, Manager of Public and Government Affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic. "Fans will not only get to witness a NASCAR driver attempting to  drive a golf cart on a coned course under a simulated impaired state, but will also get the chance to try the course themselves. After completing the test, we believe that drivers, especially younger less experienced drivers, will become keenly aware of the dangers of driving while impaired."

Richmond International Raceway, known as America's Premier Short Track, offers great night racing action and a commitment to the fan experience. One of the most popular facilities among drivers and fans in all of motorsports, Richmond International Raceway annually hosts two NASCAR Doubleheader weekends, featuring the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series. The ToyotaCare 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series race pits young up-and-comers, as well as wily veterans and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stars, all battling it out around the three-quarter-mile D-shaped oval. With children 12 and under admitted free with a ticketed adult in general admission sections for more information or to purchase tickets over the phone call 866-455-7223.

AAA Mid-Atlantic serves nearly 808,000 members in the Commonwealth of Virginia and is the nation's fifth largest auto club with nearly 4 million members in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. It provides a wide range of personal insurance, travel, financial and automotive services through its 50-plus retail branches, regional operations centers, and the Internet.

Waltrip has raced in over 1,000 NASCAR events and is a two-time winner of the Daytona 500 and co-owner of Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR). Waltrip currently drives the NO. 55 Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota Camry part-time. Presently fans may know him as a television analyst on Fox Sports and Speed, an author, social media personality and frequent star of national television commercials. Waltrip has raced professionally since 1981 and has finished in the top ten in 130 Sprint Cup races in his career. In 2009, Waltrip celebrated his 25th season in NASCAR's premiere division and ninth season with sponsor NAPA AUTO PARTS. In May 2009 Waltrip announced MWR's sponsorship extension with NAPA and named Martin Truex Jr. as his successor to drive the No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota. 

ABOUT MARTIN TRUEX JR.

Truex Jr. is a member of Michael Waltrip Racing and drives the No. 56 Napa Auto Parts Toyota in NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series. In 2001 Truex made his first NASCAR Nationwide Series start at Dover International Speedway in his father's NO. 56 Chevy. Truex began racing full-time in 2004 and since has recorded 75 top ten finishes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.