Man Who Risked Life in Fire Named ‘ExtenZe Local Hero’ and Honorary Crew Chief

STATESVILLE, NC – Without a second thought, Gary Meade rushed to the aid of neighbors at a Church Hill, Tennessee, condominium fire and rescued an elderly man just moments before an explosion turned the residence into a raging inferno. For his heroic act, Meade has been named an ‘ExtenZe Local Hero’ and will be the ExtenZe Racing Honorary Crew Chief at Bristol Motor Speedway for the March 21 NASCAR Sprint Cup race.

Early one afternoon in April 2009, Meade was outside fixing his truck when elderly neighbors slid open a door and began screaming for help as black smoke curled out from their condo. Meade quickly grabbed a fire extinguisher, ran into the burning building, and tried to put out the blaze. The fire had already engulfed a couch, spread to a blanket on the floor, and couldn’t be stopped with a single extinguisher.

Realizing that the flames were spreading, Meade grabbed one elderly resident and pulled him out on a balcony. He turned around to reenter the condo unit to save the other resident, but an oxygen tank exploded within the unit, igniting the walls and ceiling which then caved in almost immediately. Unable to rescue the second person, and with the fire expanding at an alarming rate, an exhausted Meade fought to dislodge the balcony railing so he could get the elderly man to safety. An onlooker came to lend a hand just as Meade was overcome by smoke and fumes and collapsed.



“It’s quite humbling how our fans look up to us as from week to week as their heroes on and off the track but it’s people like Gary Meade that are the true heroes in our country,” says Conway, the leading candidate for the 2010 NASCAR Cup Series Raybestos Rookie of the Year title. “It’s selfless acts such as Gary’s that remind us of the good in all people and what makes our country the greatest place in the world to live. We look forward to honoring him as our ExtenZe Local Hero and having him cheer us on atop our pit box for the race.”

The ‘ExtenZe Local Hero’ program pays tribute to people who have gone to great lengths to make a difference. Those selected have faced danger, sacrificed their own safety for others or in some way displayed leadership that changed their community for the better. Award recipients become ExtenZe Racing Honorary Crew Chiefs, receive a tour of the paddock, attend the pre-race NASCAR Driver/Crew Chief meeting, and sit atop the pit box with Crew Chief Peter Sospenzo to root on rookie driver Kevin Conway piloting the royal blue and red No. 37 ExtenZe Ford Fusion. Each recipient also receives a $1,000 award from ExtenZe, the world’s best selling male enhancement product, in recognition of their selflessness.

Fans can visit www.ExtenZeRacing.com to nominate their own local heroes or review who has been previously chosen. Also check in on blog/twitter feeds for the latest information on ExtenZe Racing and Kevin Conway.