To align with the nation‘s spirit of Memorial Day, the NASCAR industry will come together to honor and remember the brave men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces who made the ultimate sacrifice defending our freedom. Each car in Sunday‘s Coca-Cola 600 will display a fallen service member name on the windshield header of the car.
Newman will carry the name of Cpl. Brian R. Prening, a member of the U.S. Marines who lost his life in 2004. Prening, a native of Plymouth, Wisconsin, was killed while conducting combat operations with the U.S. Marines Fox Co., 2nd Battalion, 24th Marines, at Yusufiyah Iraq. He was 24 years old.
Brian was born July 22, 1980 in West Allis, to Bill and Deborah Prening, and graduated from Plymouth High School in 1998. He then attended Lakeshore Technical College and received his associates degree in Tool and Die Making. Brian had joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1999 and then joined the Reserve Corps, and was called up to serve in Iraq in June of 2004. Brian was awarded the Purple Heart and a Bronze Star for valor.
Brian was married to Amy Urner in August 2004. Amy was pregnant with the couple‘s first child when Brian was killed, and on May 3, 2005, Brian, Jr was born. He also had a twin brother Bill Prening, Jr and sister Ann. Like his Father, Mother and Brother, Brian had been employed at the Kohler Co. as a set-up man and was a member of the local UAW Union 833 at Kohler. Brian was very involved in the outdoors. He loved duck, deer, turkey and bear hunting, as well as fishing. He also enjoyed snowmobiling and working on cars and trucks. Most of all, Brian’s family was most important to him, along with the time he spent with them. Brian was a member of the Ambelang-Ebelt-Lau American Legion Post #386 in Cascade, Wisconsin, and was a member of Between Lake Ducks Unlimited chapter and the Northern Kettles Wild Turkey Federation chapter.
— Roush Fenway Racing —
