There’s something electric about those jets roaring overhead just before the green flag drops. It’s not just spectacle; it’s a powerful nod to service, sacrifice, and national pride. NASCAR has long intertwined its pageantry with military tributes; visitors to the Coca-Cola 600 often point out that the flyovers and helicopter drop-ins make the pre-race ritual stand out as more than “just another race day.”

The roots of the tradition go back to the sport’s early days. Bill France Jr. helped bring flyovers into NASCAR’s vernacular by arranging for Navy Blue Angels performances over the early Daytona Beach races in the 1950s, laying the foundation for what would become a near-weekend staple. Today, many Cup events still begin with jets, warplanes, or helicopters slicing across the sky in fo

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