En route to the greatest finish in team history, Mike Harmon Racing’s small underfunded program overachieved at Kentucky Speedway on Thursday night honored a local Arizona hero on the door. Fallen Peoria Police Officer, Jason Judd’s name stood atop the driver and passenger doors on the MHR No. 47 Chevy as 22-year-old driver, Kyle Weatherman, picked up the team’s first top-ten finish in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in team history.
“I wish I could do more, but this is just something little that can bring light to his name and to be able to do that is absolutely incredible.” Weatherman said.
On July 1, officer Judd was at Liberty High School in Peoria for a motor demonstration for the Youth Citizen Police Academy Camp. Shortly after the conclusion of the demonstration, the 52-year-old was involved in an incident on his motorcycle on the school’s campus and was transported to a local hospital where he would pass later that day. Judd spent 21 years with the Peoria Police Department following service in the United States Air Force.
Visitation hours will be held Monday at Hansen Mortuary for the public from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., located 8314 N. Seventh Street in Phoenix. The funeral will take place Tuesday at 9 a.m. at Christ’s Church of the Valley, at 7007 W. Happy Valley Road, Peoria.
Officer Judd’s name will once again be on the No. 47 on Friday night at Kentucky in the Alsco 300. Weatherman starts 8th after finishing in that same position on Thursday.
“I know that this is not what he deserves but this is just a little something we’re able to do and bring light to his name and what he did for [Arizona] and this country,” Weatherman said.
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Devon Henry
Arizona native, Devon Henry, joined the Sports360AZ crew in 2018 after graduating from Arizona State's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism & Mass Communication. Devon has avidly partaken in coverage of the Arizona high school sports scene since 2013 and has covered NASCAR and INDYCAR at Phoenix Raceway since 2017. Devon is also a play-by-play announcer, calling over a dozen different sports and hundreds of events.