GRIFFIN — NASCAR Cup Series driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. visited the Griffin Kroger on Friday to meet both fans and Kroger employees.
Stenhouse’s appearance was part of the Kroger Race for Wellness event that travels with NASCAR to each race weekend location. Although a thunderstorm moved the meet and greet inside the store, Stenhouse was still pleased to see such large attendance.
“We have a great turnout,” he said. “I’m bummed that the rain came, but these events keep getting better and better.”
Stenhouse, a two-time NASCAR Xfinity Series champion and 11-year veteran of the NASCAR Cup Series, took time to meet with fans and sign autographs for all who came.
The event promoted the Kroger Health brand, of which Stenhouse is a major advocate.
“We’ve turned it into a health fair to educate people on the things Kroger can do for their health and pharmacy needs,” Stenhouse said.
He drives the No. 47 Kroger Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for JTG-Daugherty Racing. Tad Geschickter is the co-owner of the race team and was present at Friday’s gathering.
“Doing events like this is all part of what we do, trying to help Kroger win so we can win,” Geschickter said.
Kroger has been onboard the No. 47 car since 2010, and Geschickter said the grocery chain’s partnership with the team is superb.
“Kroger is one of the biggest companies in America, so any time you can get support and backing from a company this big is pretty huge,” Geschickter said.
Stenhouse enters Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend optimistic about his chances of victory. He took home a win in the Xfinity Series at the 1.54-mile track in 2012.
“We were so good here in the spring,” he said. “Our car feels as good as it (did the) last time (we were) here.”