NASCAR’s Ricky Stenhouse Promotes Southern 500 at Boeing

North Charleston, South Carolina — NASCAR driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. made a promotional pit stop at Boeing‘s South Carolina campus on August 18 to distribute tickets for the 75th running of the Southern 500 in Darlington later this month.

Stenhouse, a Mississippi native and winner of the 2023 Daytona 500, drove his Chevy pickup to the Boeing facility, where he toured the Dreamliner plant and met with employees who received free tickets to the race.

“I love the town, I love the old houses, I love all the great trees they have here — I’m kind of a weird tree guy,” Stenhouse said. He expressed affection for the Lowcountry, where he and his wife, Madyson, frequent visits since they live just across the South Carolina border.

Boeing is known for its sponsorship of South Carolina sporting events, particularly the RBC Heritage golf tournament on Hilton Head Island. The company entered the racing scene in 2020 by partnering with Darlington Raceway, which led to the creation of the “Boeing Backstretch.”

On Monday, Stenhouse signed autographs and posed for pictures with 250 Boeing employees, each winning four tickets in a drawing. “It’s really cool to be able to talk to them all here today and let them know what to expect,” he said.

The Southern 500, a marquee Cup Series event, will take place on August 31 at 6 p.m.

In related news, a group on Daniel Island has filed a lawsuit against the City of Charleston’s zoning board. The homeowners contest a decision allowing a developer to remove 24 trees to make way for townhomes, claiming it harms the public good and would cause environmental damage.

The trees have been a part of the landscape since 1999, when they were planted to shield a parking lot. Local residents have rallied against the proposal, submitting over 600 comments to express their opposition.

A spokesperson for the city confirmed that it is not taking a position on the appeal.

In another incident, a statue named Waffles, part of Goose Creek’s Adopt a Goose Program, was nearly stolen from outside a Waffle House. A man was caught on video attempting to take the 4½-foot figure before being stopped by police.

The statue, adopted by the restaurant chain, has been a community fixture since May 2024. Local police identified the suspect, who was charged with larceny.

In public culture, the Edmondston-Alston House is offering free admission on August 23 as part of its 200th anniversary celebration. This historic home has survived numerous events, including the Civil War and multiple hurricanes.

Lastly, Amazon announced plans to expand same-day delivery of perishable foods to 1,300 additional cities. However, Charleston is not currently included in this rollout, limiting local deliveries to shelf-stable items for now.