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Thunderbirds do flyover at speedway

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds were in Volusia County to do a flyover before the Daytona 500 Sunday.

Blake Leeper, a Daytona 500 honorary race official and Paralympic track star, got a backseat ride in Thunderbird 8 Saturday.

That makes him the first double-amputee to fly with the Thunderbirds in their 60-year history.

The Thunderbirds were grounded last year because of the sequester and Saturday’s flyover will be their first time in action since April 2013.