Rocketman Dan Schlund - Texas Motor Speedway

Dan Schlund delivers the race flag before the NASCAR Sprint Cup auto race at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas on Sunday, Nov. 6, 2011.

Shuttle Atlantis pilot Doug Hurley, who has been a season-ticket holder at Texas since 2005, took the flag with him on the mission in July that closed out the 30-year shuttle program.

Hurley said the flag traveled 5.3 million miles, making 200 orbits around Earth while traveling 17,500 mph — well more than 100 times the average speed of Sunday's race, which was a track record of 152.705 mph.

While there was no possibility of a shuttle flyover, the flag was delivered to Hurley and Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage at the start-finish line by Dan Schlund who landed there after flying a jet pack along the front stretch.

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