From Orbit To Oval Inside The Space Force One Race NASCAR Mission

Forbes

a day ago

At Dover Motor Speedway in July, fans saw a futuristic paint scheme scattered among the field. It was one very similar to an earlier livery tied to Star Wars and being raced on a Toyota driven by Bubba Wallace who had also raced that Star Wars themed car last year.
But this most recent livery paid homage not to something from science fiction, but science fact. This paint scheme featured Leidos and, more curiously, the U.S. Space Force.
Yes, that Space Force, the youngest branch of the military that most Americans still think is either a Steve Carell sitcom or a punchline involving aliens and weather balloons. But make no mistake: the Guardians, as members of the Space Force are called, are very real, and their mission is as vital as it is misunderstood. Which, as it turns out, is exactly why they showed up at NASCAR's Monster Mile in the first place.
You see Leidos wasn't just slapping the Space Force logo on a racecar for the sake of shiny paint. As Gregory Pejic, VP and Space Account Manager for Leidos, explained, the goal was to connect the public with the very real, everyday impact of space-based capabilities, things like secure communications, GPS navigation, and homeland defense. In NASCAR, those same satellite systems quietly enhance the sport itself, from driver safety and performance analytics to communications and live broadcasting. In other words, the tech that keeps America safe also keeps NASCAR running at full speed.
'If you think about the true purpose about why we're doing this,' Pejic said. 'The goal is to raise awareness to build appreciation for this critical work happening above, and to show how that type of innovation translates directly and the benefits here on Earth.'
In 2022, as part of a U.S. Air Force sponsorship with the now-defunct Petty GMS Racing, the Space Force logo wasn't just a decal—it covered Ty Dillon's entire Chevrolet in a full Space Force paint scheme. By contrast, Dover marked a different kind of debut. This time the logo appeared as part of a broader Leidos sponsorship on Bubba Wallace's Toyota, giving the Space Force visibility within a partnership rather than as the primary branding. For Lt. Col. Brian Dea, Executive Officer to the Chief Operations Officer of the U.S. Space Force, it was still 'a world-class opportunity to bring the existence of the Space Force—and really what we do—to a fantastic audience.'
Dea, who attended the Dover race with a group of Guardians, said the fan response was immediate.
'You saw this tremendous sense of gratitude,' he said. 'People were humbled, gracious, and glad we were there. Handshakes, hugs—if we'd stayed longer maybe even a kiss or two. The NASCAR fan base is really a beautiful slice of the American public.'
What struck Dea was not only the warm welcome, but also the parallels between the sport and the Space Force mission.
'NASCAR fans are into how the car is set up, how it's running—the technical aspects of speed, precision, and accuracy. That aligns directly with what the Space Force does in space operations,' he said. 'I was standing behind the crew chief as they were communicating with the driver and analyzing the car turn by turn. Well, that's what we do in space operations too. It requires tremendous precision, care, and engineering to make those systems operate, sustain them, and then use them when needed.'
For fans who asked what the Space Force actually does, Dea often pointed to the one thing everyone uses: GPS.
'Most Americans interact with the Space Force every single day, even if they don't realize it,' he said. 'Banking transactions, cell phone navigation, even getting to and from work—none of that happens without GPS. And GPS is a Space Force mission.'
He added that fans connected quickly when examples became more concrete.
'Think about Operation Midnight Hammer (when bombers flew out of Whiteman Air Force Base and struck targets across the globe with pinpoint accuracy). Every part of that—intelligence, warning, communications, navigation—was enabled by space operations and specifically the Space Force. We couldn't do those missions, or bring those crews home safely, without it.'
At Dover, those explanations landed. 'When you put the Space Force mission in terms of everyday life, people get it,' Dea said. 'They understand what we do is incredibly real and incredibly important. The response from fans was warm, gracious, and full of gratitude.'
Still, Dea acknowledged the impact of their NASCAR visit won't be measured overnight. But that's okay, just like the 2022 appearance, it's really just part of a larger effort.
'Time will tell how successful it was,' he said. 'This isn't going to be one event where suddenly everyone understands the Space Force. It's another step in the chain. But the American public has a vested interest in understanding what their sons and daughters do and why it matters. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, Guardians are on watch—facilitating and protecting critical space services.'
And he emphasized, those services are not guaranteed forever.
'Adversarial nations have tested and fielded capabilities designed to deny America's use of space,' Dea said. 'That's why the Space Force was created—not just to keep doing what's been done before, but to have a dedicated service with dedicated personnel to defend those capabilities.'
So, will the Space Force return to NASCAR? Dea hopes so.
'I'd like to believe we'll continue to look for opportunities like this,' he said. 'It's not just about putting information out—it's about putting Guardians out there too. When fans who are passionate about racing meet Guardians who are passionate about what they do, that connection resonates. It gives Guardians a sense of appreciation they bring back to the force. Events like Dover are just one step, but I'd like to see us do more.'
While in 2022, the Space Force made a splash in NASCAR with Ty Dillon's Chevrolet under an Air Force sponsorship, Dover was different. Instead of being the headline sponsor, the Space Force was part of a broader Leidos partnership, and the purpose wasn't simply visibility—it was understanding.
In the end, it was less about Bubba Wallace's lap times, or where he finished (seventh for the record) but more about the continuing effort to close the gap between 'Space Force' as a punchline and Space Force as a 24/7 mission that keeps America's most essential systems online. Dover gave them a loud, patriotic, slightly beer-scented classroom in which to make their case.
Because whether you're piloting a $200 million satellite or a 3,400-pound stock car, the equation is the same—precision, speed, and absolute reliability. One operates in a vacuum, the other in 120-degree heat with 39 other drivers trying to shove you into a wall. Both, however, are unapologetically American.
For Dea, that parallel is exactly the point. 'The space domain is incredibly contested,' he said. 'Supremacy in space today is not guaranteed tomorrow. What ensures we maintain that advantage is the United States Space Force—and America's Guardians—on watch, on call, and ready to execute this mission and protect it.'