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Max Impact Rocks NASCAR

  • Published
  • By Senior Master Sgt. Bob Kamholz
Washington, D.C. --  Generating public awareness about the Air Force, its people and mission is a top priority for public affairs and recruiting offices Air Force wide.  One way The U.S. Air Force Band supports this mission is performing at national sporting events throughout the year. Max Impact, the premier rock band of the U.S. Air Force, was honored to be part of the Ford Championship weekend, Nov. 14-16, at Homestead-Miami Speedway where drivers competed for the championship in all three of NASCAR's series. 

The group performed each of the three days on the Coca-Cola stage, entertaining tens of thousands as they entered the speedway.  The first concert on Friday was a 60-minute set of classic rock favorites and current country hits performed as the sun set on the raceway before the start of the Ford EcoBoost 200.  A few of the audience members were brought to tears at the Saturday concert as Senior Master Sgt. Ryan Carson, lead vocalist and non-commissioned officer in charge of Max Impact, dedicated the performance to those who have lost a loved one in service to our country.  Carson also performed a moving rendition of the national anthem before the start of the FordEcoBoost 300 championship race, which was broadcast live on ESPN2. Finally, the group finished off the weekend with a 90-minute set on Sunday before the Ford EcoBoost 400, which brought in more than 110,000 fans. Carson was also honored to perform "America the Beautiful" before the start of the race, which was broadcast live on ESPN to 200 countries in 24 languages and aired on MRN radio and its affiliates throughout the country.

The Band's Operations section created an additional duty position in 2013 to target major sporting events in metropolitan Washington, D.C., as well as the organization's assigned national tour area.  Technical Sgt. Adam Green, a percussionist in the Concert Band, holds the position of National Sporting Event Engagement Manager serving as the Band's single point of contact for these appearances.  According to Master Sgt. Blake Arrington, the non-commissioned officer in charge of national tours, "NASCAR has always been on our radar. The ability to reach more than 80,000 in a single venue, not to mention the national media coverage, provides outreach opportunities that are invaluable."  Arrington estimates the 5 performances reached more than 6 million people over the entire weekend.