Senator Elizabeth Dole
Named Honorary Race Director
For May 25 Coca-Cola 600 at
Lowe’s Motor Speedway
CONCORD, N.C. (April 29,
2008) – Senator Elizabeth
Dole has been named honorary
race director for the May 25
Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR Sprint
Cup Series event at Lowe’s
Motor Speedway.
Coca-Cola and speedway
officials also announced
that Richard Thompson,
speaker of the West Virginia
House of Delegates, will
serve as the honorary
starter, waving the green
flag to send the 43 drivers
on their 600-mile journey.
In her role as honorary race
director, Dole will attend
the pre-race drivers’
meeting, preside over
pre-race ceremonies and
visit the control tower
during the race.
A native of nearby
Salisbury, N.C., Dole has
served five United States
Presidents and was elected
in 2002 to serve the people
of North Carolina in the
U.S. Senate.
From 1969 to 1973, Dole
served as deputy assistant
to President Nixon for
Consumer Affairs. Her resumé
also includes six years as a
member of the Federal Trade
Commission and two years as
assistant to President
Reagan for Public Liaison.
In February 1983, Dole
joined President Reagan’s
Cabinet as Secretary of
Transportation—the first
woman to hold that position.
As the Transportation
Secretary, she was the first
woman to serve as the
departmental head of a
branch of the military, the
U.S. Coast Guard.
Dole was sworn in by
President Bush as the
nation’s 20th Secretary of
Labor in January 1989. She
left President Bush’s
Cabinet in 1991 to become
president of the American
Red Cross and served in that
position until 1999. Dole
then sought the Republican
presidential nomination,
becoming the first viable
woman candidate from a major
political party.
After being discharged from
the military, Thompson
earned a criminal justice
degree from Marshall
University. He then
graduated with honors from
the West Virginia University
College of Law and returned
home to Lavalette, W.Va., to
establish his practice.
During his 28 years as an
attorney, Thompson has
served his community in
numerous capacities and has
developed a broad and varied
legal background.
Thompson was first elected
to the West Virginia House
of Delegates in 1980 and
served a two-year term. He
returned to the house in
2000 and was re-elected in
2002, 2004 and 2006. Last
year, Thompson was elected
speaker by members of the
House of Delegates, assuming
a position second in the
line of succession to the
Governor of West Virginia.
He is a founder and board
member of Mainstream
Services, which provides
services for mentally
handicapped adults, and is
also an active supporter of
the Lavalette Little League.
Tickets for the May 25
Coca-Cola 600 start at just
$39 and can be purchased by
visiting
www.lowesmotorspeedway.com
or calling the Lowe’s Motor
Speedway ticket office at
1-800-455-FANS.
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