NASCAR community steps up to help fan's remarkable Daytona 500 streak continue

Jack Hege, who is believed to be the only person to have attended every Daytona 500 as a spectator, will see his streak continue with the help of a NASCAR Sprint Cup team.

Richard Childress Racing will fly Hege to Daytona on Sunday morning so the 84-year-old Lexington, N.C., man can watch the race. Hege first attended a race at Daytona in 1958 -- the final race on the beach course -- and came back the next year for the first race at Daytona International Speedway and has never missed a 500 here since.

"It's unbelievable,'' Hege said. "It's unbelievable. I didn't dream I'd ever get to go (this year).''

Hege had said last month because of health concerns that he would not be able to attend this year's 500. Roush Fenway Racing and Joel Edmonds, spotter for Greg Biffle, had inquired earlier about trying to get him to the 500 to keep his streak alive. Hege declined the offers as he recovered from surgery in December for a broken arm. Hege's doctor cleared him on Wednesday to fly to Daytona.  Hege told an RCR official, who also invited him, that he would be able to go. 

So, the streak continues. Think about that. A man who saw Lee Petty win the inaugural race, who saw each of Richard Petty's seven wins at this track, who was there for the fight in 1979, who saw Dale Earnhardt win this race in 1998 and the dramatic finishes through the years will get to see another Daytona 500. Imagine what he's seen all those years. With the help of the NASCAR community, he'll have the chance for a few more memories.

When Hege talked to David Hart of Richard Childress Racing about the trip, he admits: "I hated to hang up. I wanted to keep talking and talking and thanking people for what they've done for me. (Hart) said that Richard wanted to do something for me, saying that anybody that had went through what I went through for 53 years, deserves some help. I appreciate it.''

Now, Hege is thinking about how he wants to go to the 2012 Daytona 500.

"It's something to look forward to,'' Hege said. "It helps a person keep going. It means a lot to me.''

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