MIS Cares is offering a 50/50 raffle on each race weekend again this year. The pot will be progressive, meaning we will be selling tickets Friday, Saturday and Sunday for one large drawing on Sunday. We are partnering with the NASCAR Foundation with funds benefitting local schools with technology upgrades. Ticket sellers will be roaming the fan plaza and near the hospitality areas (not inside). They will be wearing bright orange t-shirts and will be carrying handheld signs to help draw attention. The winner took home more than $59,000 for the 2015 Pure Michigan 400.

… Fans can win special prizes through the newly launched digital #MISfan Rewards program during the track’s FireKeepers Casino 400 weekend, June 10-12, and Pure Michigan 400 weekend, August 26-28.The #MISfan Rewards station will be located at the speedway’s Digital Drop In inside the Welcome Center in the New Holland Fan Plaza. A rewards station will also be at Faster Horses Festival, the track’s three-day country music fest, July 15-17. The Digital Drop In at the Welcome Center is equipped with free Wi-Fi and guests can stay and charge their cell phones for free.

… Michigan International Speedway continues to bring fans closer to the action and provide unique experiences for the guests. Fans attending the FireKeepers Casino 400 will have the opportunity to purchase a Driver Introduction Pass. Now is your chance to stand on the frontstretch during the pageantry and excitement of driver introductions for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races.

… The speedway has worked since 2008 with partners Schupan on a recycling program for its race weekends, collecting hundreds of thousands of pounds of aluminum and plastics from cans and bottles, among other things. MIS has recycled 355,023.85 pounds of plastic bottles, aluminum, glass, cardboard and paper since recycling efforts began in 2008. In 2015 alone, 68,523.85 pounds of material was recycled. MIS has used recycled asphalt and concrete to create over 10 miles of roads in campgrounds, parking lots and tram routes since 2008. As a result, NASCAR recognized MIS as being an industry leader during the sport’s annual Green Summit in Chicago in 2013.

… About 15 percent of guests this weekend have traveled to Michigan International Speedway from Canada. MIS has a tradition of honoring its Canadian guests. The Canadian flag will fly alongside the United State flag; the “Oh, Canada!” is sung as part of pre-race ceremonies; there is a Canadian money exchange location; the speedway has Canadian-specific merchandise; the speedway serves Canadian food – poutine (gravy) and peameal (bacon) in a concession stand aptly named “Northern Exposure.”

… The Spirit of America blood drive tradition continues at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday, September 11 for the 15th year. The annual blood drive at the racetrack began as a tribute in 2002 in honor of the victims and heroes of 9-11. Since its inception, the Spirit of America blood drive has collected more than 10,194 pints of blood, positively affecting more than 30,438 lives. Those who donate will have the opportunity to travel by MIS tram around the track, through the tunnel to the pits, and into MIS’s Home of the Brave, a 4,000 square foot multi-media exhibit featuring “as it happened videos,” Presidential letters, magazines and newspapers, and additional tributes. Donors will also be treated to a lunch in the Champions Club overlooking the track.

… Hit them far and straight at the third annual MIS Cares Golf Scramble on Tuesday, September 18 at The Grande Golf Club in Jackson, Michigan. Enjoy a day on the course with your friends, family and co-workers to benefit a great cause. Golfers can test their swings at The Grande Golf Club, satisfy their appetite with a lunch buffet, bid on one-of-a-kind auction items and spend a relaxing day on the greens. The best part is all proceeds benefit MIS Cares, the official charity of MIS.

… Track President Roger Curtis will participate in a wedding ceremony following Saturday’s Menards 250 presented by Valvoline. Alan and Sabrina Osterling from Mio, Michigan, will renew their 25th wedding anniversary vows with Curtis officiating.

… Members from the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi smudged the media center and other parts of MIS on Wednesday. Smudging is a Native American tradition to help cleanse a space, remove negative energy or get ready for a big event. Smudge is made up of the four sacred medicines: sage, sweet grass, cedar and tobacco. Besides the media center, the FireKeepers' suite and the start-finish line have also been smudged in preparation for this weekend's NASCAR and ARCA events at Michigan International Speedway.

… Consumers Energy is working to help MIS reduce its energy usage to save money and to build on the racetrack’s commitment to sustainability. Consumers Energy, Michigan’s largest utility, is the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy, providing natural gas and electricity to 6.5 million of the state’s 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties.