BRISTOL, TN, August 4, 2008) - While the rumble of Harleys fills Thunder Valley during the Aug 9-10 Rush Thunder In the Valley Nationals Presented by Smith Brothers Harley-Davidson, another type of Thunder hopes to raise awareness for the many servicemen and women left behind during combat.

The local chapter of Rolling Thunder will be on hand during Saturday's activities to raise the Prisoner of War/Missing in Action flag at Bristol Dragway. The ceremony is part of a campaign by the group to have a POW/MIA flag on every American flag pole from Bristol to Johnson City.

The POW/MIA flag is one of only a handful of flags allowed to fly on the same pole as the American flag. Wayne Musick, Flag Committee Chairman for Tennessee Chapter 4 of Rolling Thunder, says that flying this flag is about bringing recognition to the fact that so many soldiers have never returned home.

"We donate POW/MIA flags to any group or organization that wants one in order to help us provide visibility," said Musick. "We talk to civic groups, publicize our ceremonies and fly the flag so people will ask questions. Many people don't understand how many soldiers are still unaccounted for."

"I took on this position in early 2008. I chose as my first project to contact every organization between Johnson City and Bristol that had a flag pole to attempt to get a flag on every one of them. I've been successful on about 75%. It isn't that we don't do it other places, but this is what we really wanted to do. Most of them are at car dealerships, medical centers and we have two at the (Bristol Motor) Speedway."

Tennessee Chapter 4 of Rolling Thunder was formed in 2003. The group now has about 250 members and is the largest chapter in the world. On Memorial Day, the Rolling Thunder Freedom Ride takes place through the streets of Washington, D.C. and concludes at the White House. This year, President Bush met the group when they arrived. Because of its position as the largest chapter, Tennessee Chapter 4 led the charge of more than 225,000 people.

"That is where the name Rolling Thunder came from," explained Musick. "When you get that many motorcycles, it sounds like thunder. But, we always stress that this is not a motorcycle club, and you don't have to own one to be a member. About 35 to 40 percent of members don't have one.

"Our chapter president is Rick Strader, a seven-year Navy Veteran, but approximately 35 percent of our members are women or junior members who are not veterans, but have joined just because they want to support our cause. We are chartered as a non-profit and every penny is used for the mission."

The group, which donates time, food and supplies to homeless veterans, the Veterans Admininstration hospital and other charities and shelters throughout the region, is excited about raising the flag during one of Bristol Dragway's most popular events.

"I think it shows a great deal of support for what we are trying to do," continued Musick. "It will allow a lot of our members who do ride motorcycles to not only conduct the ceremony, but to show their motorcycles and have a chance to see the racing bikes. The track's support is great and we can't wait to do this during that race."

Rolling Thunder will conduct the flag raising at 10 a.m. Saturday at the American flag pole located behind the Bristol Dragway control tower.

Racing begins on Saturday with qualifying slated for 9a.m. On Sunday, Sportsman eliminations begin at 9a.m., while the professional categories take the track at 12:30 p.m.

Admission to the Rush Thunder in the Valley Nationals presented by Smith Brothers Harley-Davidson is $50 for the weekend and $30 for single-day admission. Children 11 and under are admitted free.

Free admission also is offered to active and reserve military personnel with proper identification. H.O.G. members receive a $5 discount at the gate with a valid H.O.G. card.

Weekend camping is available at Bristol Dragway beginning on Friday, Aug. 8. Campsites are only $25. On Saturday night, fans can rock to the tunes of North Carolina's PeacePipe band beginning at 8:00pm.

Discount tickets are available at Smith Brothers Harley-Davidson in Johnson City, TN and Colboch Harley-Davidson in Morristown, TN.

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Bristol Dragway is owned by Bristol Motor Speedway, a wholly owned subsidiary of Speedway Motorsports, Inc. Speedway Motorsports is a leading marketer and promoter of motorsports entertainment in the U.S. SMI owns and operates the following premiere facilities: Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Infineon Raceway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Lowe's Motor Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway. SMI also provides souvenir merchandising services through its SMI Properties subsidiary, and manufactures and distributes smaller-scale, modified racing cars through its 600 Racing subsidiary. The Company also owns Performance Racing Network, which broadcasts syndicated motorsports programming to over 750 stations nationwide. For more information, visit the Speedway Motorsports website at www.gospeedway.com.