Jeff Burton Awards Extra Mile Hero Award at New Hampshire Motor Speedway

Although race day has dawned cloudy and a bit gloomy here in Loudon, NH, there were lots of smiles, warmth and even some tears in the media center this morning.  NASCAR Sprint Cup driver of the No. 31 LENOX Industrial Tool Chevrolet Jeff Burton awarded the LENOX Extra Mile Hero Award to Pete Dingeman.

Dingeman, a foreman for 30 years at Griggs Steel, was nominated by his LENOX supplier for his outstanding efforts to raise funds for The Children's Tumor Foundation.  This cause, helping to find a cure for children suffering with cancer, is near and dear to Dingeman's heart.

You see, Dingeman is a cancer survivor himself, battling skin, prostate, lung and brain cancer.  He courageously shared that he is not letting cancer stop him, continuing to raise support for others, especially children, battling the same disease that he is so valiantly fighting.

Dingeman shared with the cheering crowd, "I'm running marathons to still raise money for the children and I'm not going to let cancer get me."  Dingeman will have a special role at the Speedway today, serving as Grand Marshall and giving the command to fire the engines.

I'm very honored to have been chosen by LENOX Industrial Tool as the Extra Mile Hero", Dingeman said. "This money that I've just won will be going to drug trial programs at the University of Michigan" to find a cure for cancer.

Dingeman has himself been awarded $31,000 (in honor of the 31 Jeff Burton car number) and will be given another $31,000 to share with his favorite charity, The Children's Tumor Foundation.  The Foundation is a nonprofit medical foundation dedicated to improving the health and well being of individuals and families affected by neurofibromatoses.

But there is more.  If Jeff Burton, driving the LENOX Industrial Tool No. 31 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing, wins the race, the grand prize pot will be sweetened to $1 million for Dingeman to split equally with The Children's Tumor Foundation, his charity of choice.

Jeff Burton acknowledged that "the pressure was on", but he also admitted that he liked his odds.  Burton has been involved in "six or seven Winston million races" and has won three of them.  "So, I kind of like my averages," concluded Burton with a big smile.

This is the fourth year that LENOX Industrial Tools will be sponsoring the New Hampshire race, aptly named the LENOX Industrial Tools 301. LENOX received over 600 entries for the Extra Mile Hero Award and brought the ten finalists to the New Hampshire race to await the big announcement.

The criteria for winning the Extra Mile Hero Award included going over and above in an act of service to others, as well as using the LENOX products in their work with integrity. In listening to Dingeman's story, there is no doubt that he exemplifies these criterion of service and integrity.

Dingeman hails from Shelby Township, Michigan where he lives with his wife, Christine.  They have two children, a son and a daughter, who have stood by them throughout Pete's battle with cancer.

When Dingeman's name was called his wife burst into tears.  Wiping her eyes, she said "I'm ecstatic like Peter is.  We've worked for 25 years with The Children's Tumor Foundation and this is just going to be fantastic" for them.

The Dingeman's have not been huge NASCAR fans, coming primarily from hockey country.  But they have gotten hooked on the sport and today will be rooting with all their hearts for the driver of the LENOX Industrial Tools No. 31 car to take that checkered flag so they can continue their favorite passion, helping others.