SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, Calif. (March 18, 2013) – Stars of the upcoming film G.I. Joe: Retaliation, D.J. Cotrona and Adrianne Palicki, will serve as Grand Marshals for the Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway on Sunday, March 24 at 12:00 p.m. PT.
As Grand Marshals, Cotrona and Palicki will give the command “Drivers, start your engines” to the 43-car field of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Southern California’s premier motorsports facility. The event will be televised on FOX.
In G.I. Joe: Retaliation, set for release in theaters on March 28, Cotrona plays Flint, a beloved character of the G.I. Joe mythology and a solid and strong-willed soldier who has a bit of a rebellious streak. Palicki plays Lady Jaye, the only female in the squad and never one to back down or be intimidated.
A follow-up to the 2009 release “G.I. JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA,” which grossed more than $300 million worldwide, Paramount Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios (MGM) and Skydance Productions, in association with Hasbro present “G.I. JOE: RETALIATION.”
In this sequel, the G.I. Joes are not only fighting their mortal enemy Cobra, they are forced to contend with threats from within the government that jeopardize their very existence. The film stars D.J. Cotrona, Byung-hun Lee, Adrianne Palicki, Ray Park, Jonathan Pryce, RZA, Ray Stevenson, Channing Tatum, with Bruce Willis and Dwayne Johnson. Directed by Jon M. Chu and produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Brian Goldner. Written by Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick, based on Hasbro’s G.I. Joe® characters.
Cotrona was last seen starring opposite Michael Imperiloi on ABC’s “Detroit 1-8-7” and in theaters starring opposite Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried in Screen Gems’ “Dear John,” based on Nicholas Sparks’ successful novel.
Palicki is best known for her critically acclaimed role as Tyra Collette on NBC’s “Friday Night Lights.” On the big screen, she was last seen in MGM’s remake of “Red Dawn” as Toni, a role originated by Jennifer Grey, and in Sony Pictures’ film “Legion” alongside Paul Bettany.
To see Cotrona and Palicki deliver the most famous words in motorsports to get Sunday’s race underway, call 800-944-RACE (7223), log on to www.autoclubspeedway.com or visit the Auto Club Speedway ticket office. Auto Club 400 weekend, tickets start as low as $35 and AAA members receive Show Your Card & Save discounts, including a special section with half-priced tickets for kids 12 and under.
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About Auto Club Speedway: Located 50 miles east of Los Angeles in Fontana, California, Auto Club Speedway is California’s premier motorsports facility, hosting over 320 days of track activity each year including the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Auto Club 400 weekend in March and the MAVTV 500 INDYCAR World Championships Finale weekend in October. The two-mile D-shaped oval is one of the fastest tracks on the INDYCAR and NASCAR circuits. The Speedway is also home to numerous movies, television and commercial productions, photo shoots, new car testing, club racing and a variety of racing schools. For more information on events at Auto Club Speedway call 1-800-944-RACE (7223) or visit www.autoclubspeedway.com . For more information on event lodging, visit the Hilton Garden Inn, Fontana, the official hotel partner of Auto Club Speedway and Auto Club Dragway.
