Autism Speaks: Start...Your...Engines!

Today’s the day my friends. The day when men, women, and children, Southerners and Yankies, East Coasters and West Coasters, and Ford, Chevy, Dodge, and Toyota supporters alike rev their internal engines and put the pedal to the metal for 500 miles of heart-pounding, breath-taking vehicular exhilaration.

Today is the day when four little words cause my life to take on some meaning for roughly 10 months: “Gentlemen, start your engines!”

OK, that may be a bit dramatic, but I’m allowed to be a bit dramatic because today is…

The NASCAR Daytona 500!

Not only is today the Daytona 500, but it’s the 50th running of the Daytona 500.

Exciting times, my friends. Exciting. Times.

So, what does today’s NASCAR Daytona 500 have to do with mental health? (Aside from the fact that I may need some anxiety medication to make it through this race?) It can be summed up in two words: Autism Speaks.

Autism Speaks, after merging with the Autism Coalition for Research and Education (ACRE), the National Alliance for Autism Research (NAAR), and Cure Autism Now (CAN), is one of the world’s largest autism foundations, and has been prominently featured throughout recent NASCAR races.

More recently, FOX chose Autism Speaks as a beneficiary of the new “FOX Sports Supports” charitable initiative, with the 50th Daytona 500 as its debut, and Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR) is going to auction off 12 commemorative Gold Wheels used during today’s race, two of which will benefit Autism Speaks.

And, you can turn your television to FOX right now and see beloved Studio Analyst Jeff Hammond and Race Analysts Darrell Waltrip and Larry McReynolds wearing Autism Speaks’ blue puzzle piece logo.

So, kudos to FOX, NASCAR, and Michael Waltrip Racing for making today even more special than it already is!

Now, why are y’all still reading this? It’s race day! Boogity! Boogity! Boogity!

Image credit.