- The military-themed paint scheme on the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, driven by Alex Bowman, pays tribute to Army Specialist Matthew E. Baylis, who was killed in action in 2007
- As part of the NASCAR Salutes initiative, Ally will make donations to the Specialist Matthew Baylis Memorial Fund and USO
In honor of the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice serving in the U. S. Armed Forces, Ally unveiled a military-themed paint scheme for the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 driven by Alex Bowman at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 29. This year’s paint scheme will honor Army Specialist Matthew E. Baylis, who was killed in the line of duty in 2007 while protecting his fellow soldiers in Baghdad.
Spc. Baylis was nominated by his stepmother, and Ally employee, Kerri Baylis, and his family through Ally’s Veteran Employee Resource Group (ERG), whose mission is to unite employees and “do it right” for the U.S. Armed Forces. Any Ally employee can be part of the Veteran ERG, regardless of service or connection to the military, and can support military members and their families through volunteerism, education, and honoring fallen service members like Spc. Baylis.
“I think it is really special to be able to honor a fallen service member on Memorial Day,” said Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. “Everything that NASCAR does around this event to pay tribute to the men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice is really meaningful and I feel humbled to be able to have Specialist Baylis ride along with me at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
After hearing his story and everything he did to protect his team, I am looking forward to honoring his legacy and meeting some of his family at the racetrack.”
The commemorative paint scheme will trade Ally’s traditional brand colors for a powerful royal blue hood accented with the Ally Veteran ERG’s military ID tag logo, silver stenciled numbers, and a striking red roof and stars. The No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will proudly carry Army Specialist Baylis’ name across the windshield as part of the NASCAR Salutes 600 Miles of Remembrance in Charlotte this month.
In honor of Spc. Baylis and all members of the U.S. Armed Forces, Ally will also make donations to the USO and the Specialist Matthew E. Baylis Memorial Fund, which is dedicated to providing scholarships to veterans or children of veterans that need financial assistance with either college tuition or the cost of a trade school.
“This year marks 15 years since Matthew’s passing. Matthew was a wonderful son, a great brother, and a great friend. He knew very early in his life he wanted to join the Army and make a difference in the lives of others. I could not be prouder of him,” said Richard Baylis, Matthew’s father. “Working together with Ally, it is our hope to provide even more scholarships to veterans and their families, to help pay for trade school or college. We are so grateful to Ally, Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports, and NASCAR to have Matthew honored in such a unique way.”
