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[/media-credit]Every celebration needs an emcee, so it stands to reason that Charlotte Motor Speedway will need two for the 10 greatest days of racing, May 18-27, which includes the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race and the 53rd running of the Coca-Cola 600.
Two personalities from the Charlotte air-waves will serve as the speedway’s ambassadors of fun beginning May 1 and lasting through the final lap of NASCAR’s greatest test of man and machine, the Coca-Cola 600 on May 27.
Fox Charlotte’s Jon Wilson, of the famed “Wilson’s World” segments on the popular Fox News Rising morning show, has been named Master of Ceremonies and he will serve alongside former Miss Sprint Cup and current radio personality on The Ace & TJ Show, Monica Palumbo, who has been named Mistress of Ceremonies for the 10 greatest days of racing.
“We needed a couple of fun, energetic personalities to help lead the charge for our fans, who come from far and wide to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the biggest back-to-back weekends in racing,” said Marcus Smith, president and general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway. “As emcees, they will be our voice to the fans, our hosts at the party and our ambassadors of fun. They’re both NASCAR fans with a ton of energy that will be on full display in high definition on the world’s largest television.”
Wilson has become one of Charlotte’s biggest morning television personalities as the out-and-about reporter for Fox Charlotte’s Fox News Rising, which airs Monday through Friday from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. He also fills in for John Hancock during evenings on WBT radio.
A long-time race fan, Wilson has hosted corporate hospitality events at the speedway and has recently served as one of the roaming personalities interviewing fans on the world’s largest HDTV during major events at CMS.
“The amount of fun we are going have at Charlotte Motor Speedway could only fit on the largest HDTV in the world, and I’m going to be right in the middle of it!” said Wilson.
Palumbo is known to NASCAR fans worldwide for her role as Miss Sprint Cup from 2008 until 2011. During her role as Miss Sprint Cup, she represented the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series through speaking engagements, public appearances and, of course, as the first friendly face greeting the winning driver each week in Victory Lane.
A Charlotte, N.C.-native, Palumbo’s career has been in front of microphone, whether as a fill-in for Kelly Ripa on “Live with Regis and Kelly” or in her current role as a co-host for The Ace & T.J. Show, a popular morning radio program, based in Charlotte on 96.1 FM and syndicated to 14 markets nationwide. In 2012, Palumbo joined SPEED as a social media reporter.
“I am thrilled to be back at the track and an ambassador of fun, because that is what it is all about,” said Palumbo. “It is the planet’s largest HDTV screen, right here in Charlotte and I’m looking to put you on it! It’s the 10 greatest days of racing, only in Charlotte!”
The fun at Charlotte Motor Speedway begins on Friday, May 18 with the N.C. Education Lottery 200 and qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race and lasts through the 53rd running of the Coca-Cola 600 on May 27.
Schedule:
May 18: N.C. Education Lottery 200, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race and qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race
May 19: NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, including a pre-race concert by country music superstar Blake Shelton, the Sprint Showdown and the Pennzoil Burnout Contest
May 24: LiftMaster Pole Night, qualifying for the Coca-Cola 600
May 24: Food Lion Speed Street 600 Festival in Uptown Charlotte
May 25: Coca-Cola Family Track Walk and Quarter-Mile Cookout
May 25: World of Outlaws Sprint Car Showdown at The Dirt Track at Charlotte
May 26: History 300, NASCAR Nationwide Series Race and the season opener for the Global RallyCross Championship Series
May 27: The 53rd running of the Coca-Cola 600 and the Let Freedom Race military pre-race extravaganza
Tickets are available by calling the speedway ticket office at 1-800-455-FANS (3267) or online atwww.charlottemotorspeedway.com. Weekend ticket packages start at $99 for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race weekend and the Coca-Cola 600 weekend.
Stay connected with all of the activities at the Mecca of Motorsports through Facebook at www.facebook.com/charlottemotorspeedway or follow the speedway on Twitter atwww.twitter.com/cltmotorspdwy.
