ROSSBURG – A pair of area racing personalities with Daytona International Speedway ties will be the guest speakers Sunday afternoon as the Dayton Auto Race Fans (DARF) club hosts its annual Daytona 500 Watch Party.
Prior to the 2:30 dropping of Sunday’s green flag on ‘America’s Great Race’, Rick Monroe (Piqua) and Drew Charlson (New Bremen) will address the attendees and talk about their experiences at the centerpiece of NASCAR racing.
Monroe was NASCAR’s flagman from 1991 through 2011, including many stints at the Daytona 500. He will talk about the feeling of watching over 40 cars racing at speeds in excess of 200MPH in front of more than 100,000 fans and national television.
For Charlson, his Daytona involvement was behind the wheel of an ARCA (Automobile Racing Club of America) stock car around the steeply banked 2.5-mile oval. In 2012 he finished the 200-lap ARCA race during Daytona Speedweek in the runner-up position.
Both will field questions from the attendees. There is no fee, or membership, to attend the Watch Party, which will be held at the Troy, OH Fricker’s location. The doors will open at 1:00 with a full menu available.
DARF is a Dayton-based club of racing enthusiasts supporting local racetracks, clubs and drivers. Their initiatives include an Injured Drivers Fund to assist race drivers in their time of need following accidents.
