NASCAR driver Regan Smith will wear a special Carolina Hurricanes-themed helmet on Saturday, Oct. 11, during the Bank of America 500 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte. The race is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will be telecast nationwide on ABC.
Smith is wearing the Hurricanes-themed helmet this weekend to draw attention to the start of the 2008-09 National Hockey League season, and will donate the helmet to the Kids ‘N Community Foundation for a charity auction following the race. The 25-year-old driver of Dale Earnhardt Incorporated/Principal Financial Group’s 01 Chevrolet, is in the hunt for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series rookie of the year honors, and is coming off of a controversial finish in last weekend’s AMP Energy 500 at Talladega. Smith is a self-proclaimed “Caniac,” who moved to Mooresville, NC, in 1995 from his hometown of Cato, NY.
A Raleigh native, Chip has worked at the N&O since 1979 and is the Canes beat writer. He can be reached at 
