Auto Club Speedway gets award for giving

From a news release:

The NASCAR Foundation presented Auto Club Speedway with the 2008 NASCAR Day Cup in recognition of the more than $93,000 in donations raised by the track last year for The NASCAR Foundation.

This is the second year for the NASCAR Day Cup, which is awarded to the track that raises the most money for The NASCAR Foundation's national fundraiser, NASCAR Day.

Auto Club Speedway partnered with race sponsor Stater Bros. to collect donations at 165 locations across Southern California. A portion of the proceeds raised through the promotion stayed in the local community with the Make-A-Wish® Foundation of Orange County and Inland Empire.

The track and grocery chain kicked off the promotion by sending local Wish child Evan and his family to meet his idol NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Tony Stewart at Darlington Raceway in May of 2008.   

In addition to meeting his idol, the seven-year-old Apple Valley resident who suffers from leukemia, went behind the scenes in the garage, watched qualifying and practice sessions, attended the drivers' meeting, stood on stage for pre-race driver introductions and watched the action in the Raceway President's suite.

Annually held on the Friday prior to the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Challenge in May, NASCAR Day has become one of the most important and fastest-growing traditions in the NASCAR Family. Since the first celebration in 2004, NASCAR Day has raised more than $5 million for the charitable initiatives so close to the hearts of the NASCAR Family.