Guns & Gears Rock Road America
The Sights and Sounds of the Henry 180 NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Weekend
What’s the best way to spend Independence Day weekend? For more than 100,000 race fans the answer is basking in the sun at their favorite spot along Road America‘s notoriously difficult 4-mile road course to enjoy some thrilling NASCAR action. Taking a look around the track on Saturday and Sunday it was not hard to believe that this year’s attendance broke records. Every hill was packed with tents and spectators, every turn had fans right up to the fence, and the fan experience along the midway was packed with families and golf carts.
For the 2nd year in a row, Henry Repeating Arms sponsored the NASCAR Xfinity Series race, now called the Henry 180. The race took place on Saturday, July 3, and was followed by the NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday, July 4. For those that couldn’t make it out to the track, we are excited to share a glimpse of everything that happened over the weekend.
Henry Stewart-Haas Racing Range Day Experience
The Henry 180 weekend started off with a bang, literally. On the Friday evening before race day, Henry Repeating Arms invited the entire Stewart-Haas Racing team to the nearby Rhine-Plymouth Field and Stream shooting range to let everyone experience firsthand what we’re all about. After all, what is a July 4th weekend without slinging some lead through a Henry rifle?
Xfinity Series racecar driver Riley Herbst, Cup Series driver Cole Custer, and driver of the No. 99 Henry Repeating Arms Ford Mustang Kevin Harvick were all in attendance along with their crews. After about an hour and a half of shooting, we asked Kevin Harvick if he would do the honors of pulling the trigger on Henry President Andy Wickstrom’s customized Long Ranger Deluxe Edition .308 to set off 10 pounds of Tannerite, which took no convincing at all.
Check out the photo gallery below for some highlights of the Henry & Stewart-Haas Racing Range Day experience and a short clip of Kevin Harvick’s finale shot.
Race Day
On Saturday, fans started arriving at the track bright and early to get their favorite spot along the track and check out all of the vendors along the midway, including the Henry Experience Display trailer and a roller chassis duplicate of the Wissota Modified dirt track car that is owned and operated by Henry Repeating Arms. We packed the trailer wall-to-wall with rifles and shotguns to give as many people as possible a chance to get their hands on a Henry and feel that smooth lever action for themselves. Check out the gallery below for some photos of our midway presence right next to Victory Lane.
Henry Repeating Arms has a long history of supporting America’s military, and you would be hard-pressed to find a more patriotic locale than a NASCAR weekend at Road America over Independence Day weekend. As thanks for their service, Henry invited 180 active-duty members and veterans to join us at the races free of charge.
The Presentation of Colors, the singing of the National Anthem by Sheboygan firefighter Charles Butler, and a flyover of T-28 Trojan Vintage Warbirds were made all the more impactful knowing that there were so many who served our country with us at the track. Before the pre-race coverage began, Henry CEO & Founder Anthony Imperato took to the stage at Victory Lane to address the track. Check out the video below to hear his speech.
Shortly thereafter, we had the distinct pleasure of welcoming Medal of Honor recipient and United States Marine Major General, James Livingston to deliver the most famous words in motorsports, “Drivers start your engines!” Major General Livingston was awarded with the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions in 1968 during the Vietnam War. At 81-years-old he continues to travel the country inspiring crowds and all those he meets.
The crowd cheered and rose to their feet across the 4 miles track and the engines roared to life up and down the grid while Imperato made his way to the gangplank overlooking the Start/Finish line to wave the green flag and start the race.
Kevin Harvick started the race in P20 and pushed hard for a P6 finish, right in front of Riley Herbst. It was a hard-fought race, and we can assure you that it was HOT! You could not imagine what the temperatures were inside of the cars under a helmet and firesuit as they raced to finish the 180-mile race. After an off-track that forced him to the back of the pack, Kyle Busch managed to work his way all the way up the field to a race win thanks to a winning pit strategy, a fast car, and a whole lot of skill.
To celebrate his win, Kyle was presented with a custom Henry 180 Edition Big Boy rifle in .44 Mag/.44 Spl by Henry Repeating CEO & Founder Anthony Imperato. Huge congratulations to Kyle and his team!
July 3, 2021: #54: Kyle Busch, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota Supra M&M’s Ice Cream at Road America in Elkhart Lake, WI (HHP/Jim Fluharty)
All told, the Henry 180 provided for a great weekend of thrilling racing action, a great time at the shooting range, and an opportunity to meet so many people in the Henry family. Stay tuned for even more content from this year’s Henry 180. We can’t wait for next year!
