NASCAR Daily News Headlines * December 26, 2007

Speedway Children's Charities Donate $3.2 Million

The Texas Motor Speedway led the way with $752,466 in donations to 198 local charities. Lowe's Motor Speedway near Charlotte, N.C., collected $700,000 for 66 groups, while the Bristol Motor Speedway handed out $550,000, the Infineon Raceway handed out $524,050, the Atlanta Motor Speedway handed out $350,000 and the Las Vegas Motor Speedway handed out $314,000.

The charities that benefited at Texas included the Homeless Veterans Services of Dallas, the Child Abuse Prevention Center, the Ronald McDonald House of Fort Worth, the Tarrant (County) Area Food Bank, the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, the Texas Ballet Theater and the Genesis Women's Shelter.

Money in Texas also will be spent on medical and dental care for low-income children in Tarrant, Dallas, Denton and Collin counties.

Eighty-two agencies benefited in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia near the Bristol Motor Speedway.

"I am very happy that we're able to give away so much money to so many deserving charities this year," said track president Jeff Byrd. "Speedway Children's Charities is all about helping needy children and when you can help that many agencies and that many kids, it's a fantastic feeling.

"We're closing in on the $4 million dollar mark in funds raised over the past 10 years and that is remarkable. That says so much about the wonderful folks in this area who support Speedway In Lights and our other fundraisers as well."(savannahnow.com)