3M announced that its Automotive Aftermarket Division hosted a US Marine at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Memorial Day weekend.

When the team at Industrial Finishes in Eugene, Ore., found out that Corporal Coleman Hyerstay, grandson of the company founder, was set to deploy to Central America with the U.S. Marines, they wanted to find an appropriate send-off to thank him for his service.

Hyerstay, a lifelong NASCAR fan, was training with his U.S. Marine Corp Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force in North Carolina, so his co-workers immediately thought of a trip to the Coca-Cola 600.

That’s when they called 3M Automotive Aftermarket Division. Industrial Finishes is a longtime customer of 3M, and knowing that 3M is a contingency partner of NASCAR, they reached out to see if there were any race tickets. 3M, which supports the troops through its 3M Hire Our Heroes program and other military initiatives, took it a step further.

This past weekend, Hyerstay and his guests had a behind-the-scenes experience to see the Coca-Cola 600, including VIP race passes, garage and pit tour, a visit to the drivers’ meeting and backstage access to the drivers’ introductions at Charlotte Motor Speedway. In addition, they had an opportunity to see country music star Lee Brice perform and enjoy the Coca-Cola 600 military pre-race spectacle.

“We always look for ways to thank those who serve our country, and when we have an opportunity to do something unique for a military member getting ready to deploy, we want to do whatever we can,” said Dale Ross, U.S. operations marketing manager, 3M Automotive Aftermarket Division. “It’s an honor to share our partnership in NASCAR with our troops.”