NASCAR team owner Richard Childress, who recently responded to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky’s “I need ammunition, not a ride” comment by promising to donate one million rounds of ammo to Ukraine, is being aided in his efforts by North Carolina Republican congressman Richard Hudson and Indiana congresswoman Victoria Spartz. The two have introduced H.R. 6981, the American Ammo in Defense of Ukraine Act, designed to slice through governmental red tape and expedite the delivery of direct supply donations to Ukrainian troops. (As a side note, Hudson is a co-sponsor of a bill banning the import of oil from Venezuela. More of this, please.) Childress is working with AMMO Inc., an Arizona-based ammunition manufacturer, for which Childress serves on the Board of Directors.

Childress’ fellow NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick recently supported Ukrainian medical relief efforts through Franklin Graham’s Samaritan’s Purse organization by donating $200,000 to it, adding, before the Pennzoil 400 Presented by Jiffy Lube NASCAR Cup race held March 6th at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, that he would donate an additional $2,000 for each lap one of his four drivers led during the race. Hendrick driver and defending NASCAR Cup champion Kyle Larson carried a Samaritan’s Purse logo on his car during the race, in which he finished second to teammate Alex Bowman. Hendrick drivers led 51 of the race’s 274 laps, thus providing another $102,000 of their employer’s money to Samaritan’s Purse.

The two acts highlight how, despite NASCAR itself tries to tread lightly through the political correctness minefield, the people who make the sport go are unafraid to take public stands and put their money where their mouth is when it comes to supporting people in need. It would be refreshing to see team owners in the other major sports step up in the same manner.