Visit From Veterans Home Part of New Jersey Vintage Grand Prix Festival

Millville, N.J. (May 13, 2009) - Race car drivers are often looked up to for their physical accomplishments and bravery behind the wheel. During the New Jersey Vintage Grand Prix Festival May 29-31, some true American heroes will visit New Jersey Motorsports Park.

American armed service veterans from the New Jersey Veterans Memorial Home in Vineland, N.J. will be part of a special day of activities during the event. Ranging in age from 46-101 years old, many wheelchair-bound, the veterans will be escorted to the facility by members of the Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Club and directed onto Thunderbolt Raceway for a ceremonial lap of the track.

The residents of the Veterans Home will be invited to participate in a variety of other activities, including a tour of the weekend's classic car show and historic race cars participating in the weekend's Vintage Sports Car Club of America races.

96-year-old resident Walter Wengel, who served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, will give the pre-race "Drivers, start your engines" command. This year's New Jersey Vintage Grand Prix Festival is the second time that the New Jersey Veterans Memorial Home has been invited to participate on the race weekend.

"Last year was the first time that residents were invited to do anything like this, and they were thrilled," said Lisa Williams, Supervisor of Recreation for the Veterans Memorial Home. "When we arrived at the park, the drivers and crews along pit road came out and cheered for our veterans. This was a very emotional moment for them because they later shared that the reception they received that day was more than many of them felt after coming home from the Vietnam War."

The New Jersey Vintage Grand Prix Festival also features the Cumberland County Community Festival on Saturday, featuring a host of Cumberland County businesses and activities on display. Tickets for the weekend are $17 per day, with discounts available for two-day and three-day tickets. Cumberland County residents can purchase a Saturday ticket for just $10 at the gate with a valid driver's license during the May 30 Cumberland County Community Festival.

A portion of the weekend's proceeds will be donated to a variety of veteran's charities, including the New Jersey Veterans Memorial Home.

Children 12 and under are admitted free to all events at New Jersey Motorsports Park. Tickets are available at www.njmp.com.

More information on the New Jersey Vintage Grand Prix Festival is available at the event website, www.njvgp.com.

Sitting on over 500 acres in Millville, N.J., New Jersey Motorsports Park is conveniently located to Philadelphia, the Jersey Shore, New York and Baltimore, and offers diverse and dynamic motorsports attractions. The facility includes two world-class road courses (Thunderbolt and Lightning), an exclusive motorsports country club known as the Drivers Club, the Breighton Room Restaurant open to the general public, and F1 New Jersey, one of the top karting facilities in America. Opened in July 2008, New Jersey Motorsports Park hosts eight major motorsports events in 2009, beginning with the Verizon Wireless 250 presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 May 1 - 3. The 2009 spectator schedule also includes the Formula X weekend featuring the Atlantic Championship powered by Mazda and a host of Mazda-powered race series, as well as All Revved Up; the debut of the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) Pro Road Race Series, including the American Superbike class and the new Daytona Sportbike program; the return of the ARCA/ReMax Series as the only road course visit on the series schedule; a Ferrari Challenge event and the excitement of two separate Vintage race weekends.

For more information on New Jersey Motorsports Park, F1 New Jersey, Breighton Room, or to purchase tickets, visit www.njmp.com or call 856-327-7217.