As part of the 2025 NASCAR Salutes program over Memorial Day weekend at the Coca-Cola 600 in Concord, North Carolina, Alex Bowman will represent a fallen hero on his car as a small nod to military families and veterans.
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Michael Kempel, the oldest of five children, grew up in Akron, Ohio, and was a petty officer in the United States Navy.
An accomplished Eagle Scout, Michael was passionate about cars from a young age, rebuilding a Corvair before purchasing a cherry red 1964 Ford Galaxie 500. He won a first-place trophy at Dragway 42 in Salem, Ohio, with that Galaxie.
After high school, Michael enlisted in the Navy, where he became a hospital corpsman in the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. Known as “Doc,” he earned respect for his humor, often distracting wounded soldiers with jokes during tense moments.
A summary of Kempel’s heroic actions follows:
Petty Officer Michael Richard Kempel (Navy-3rd Battalion-1st Marine Division), serving with Company Mike 3/5 in Quang Nam Province, Vietnam, showed extraordinary courage when his platoon unknowingly entered an enemy minefield. After a mine exploded, critically wounding the point Marine and several others, Kempel, disregarding his own safety, moved to assist the injured despite knowing more mines were present.
As he neared the wounded, Kempel stepped on another mine, sustaining critical injuries. Despite this, he crawled to the point Marine, attempting to provide aid until he succumbed to his wounds. His heroic actions, skill, and dedication earned him the Silver Star, awarded by the President of the United States for his gallantry and intrepidity in the face of danger on August 27, 1970.
Each year since the inception of the Ally Racing program, the Ally Racing team has partnered with the North Carolina USO to pack care packages for soldiers preparing to deploy. These bags have ranged from toiletry necessities to food, gum, and goody bag essentials. Each year, Ally also writes cards to encourage soldiers who are getting ready to head out on deployment.
We Are The Mighty sat down with Bowman and John Kempel, who is Michael’s uncle. John Kempel works for Ally, which sponsors Bowman’s car.
WATM: What does it mean to have your uncle honored in front of so many people at the Coca-Cola 600?
John Kempel: “There are a bunch of emotions that I feel, especially with this nomination being accepted for my uncle. I feel really grateful for it, for NASCAR, Ally and Team Hendrick [Motorsports] to honor my uncle. It means a lot, especially to my family. We do something for my uncle every year on Memorial Day.”
WATM: When were you first introduced to your uncle’s heroism in Vietnam?
John Kempel: “It’s been for my whole life. Growing up, it was something that was part of the family every year around Memorial Day; we would go to 3/5. We would meet with some of the veterans, and we went when my uncle was eventually awarded his Silver Star. It took years for that to happen. Seeing his name on the car makes me think of what we have in common. I like cars a lot, and so did he. I never got to meet him, but I’ve heard all of these stories about how he would build his own cars and take them out on the drag strip. It’s only fitting to see his name on the car.”
WATM: Did you get to meet any of the Marines that served with him in 3/5?
John Kempel: “Yes, there are a few, and one that comes to mind is [hospital corpsman] Joe Boydell. He is one of the guys who has been very close to my family throughout the years. I know him very well.”
WATM: Will you be at the race?
John Kempel: “Yes, going down to the race. I think it’s really cool that this is happening on Memorial Day. My father passed away, and growing up, he always did something for his brother on Memorial Day. Our goal is to keep Michael’s spirit alive just like my dad did. I’m really excited for it.”
WATM: Alex, tell us about what got you into racing, and what is that like?
Alex Bowman: “I grew up around cars, and my dad had a small body shop in Tucson, Arizona. I spent a lot of time around cars and got put to work at a young age. My dad was a big NASCAR fan, so he always had an eye on racing. I started racing quarter midgets when I was 7. It is tied to a love for cars, and I enjoy working on the mechanical side of things. I work on my own race cars and worked on them a lot while growing up. I’ve always been a gearhead.”
WATM: What does it mean to have Michael Kempel’s name on your car?
Alex Bowman: “The 600 is on Memorial Day weekend every year. Every year, we have a fallen service member’s name on our car. Every car in the field does. It is an honor to meet the service members’ families and hear stories about them [and] getting to show them the car before the race with their names on it.
“I got to meet the Kempel family last week, which was really special for me to show my appreciation, and that we will honor his name in the best way we know how. I’m super fortunate to get to drive in circles for a living. It’s definitely good for us to do anything we can to show our appreciation to fallen service members, current service members, and it means a lot to be able to do that. We do a moment of silence in the middle of the race to honor them. To stop that, especially as NASCAR is very busy, and for it to be silent during a race is special. Hopefully, we can do our best and win.”
Watch the full interview here:
Samurai Pulse Ep 27: Interview with John Kempel and Alex Bowman
