TALLADEGA, AL – Talladega Superspeedway is proud to announce that Marcus Lemonis, successful entrepreneur, star of CNBC’s “The Profit”, as well as chairman and CEO of Camping World and Good Sam, will serve as both the Grand Marshal and Honorary Starter for the CampingWorld.com500 on Sunday, Oct. 25.
After giving the 43-driver field the famous command to “Start Your Engines,” Lemonis will wave the green flag from the starter stand to get the much anticipated CampingWorld.com 500 underway. The CampingWorld.com 500 is the final and deciding race of the Contender Round in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, in which 12 drivers eligible for the title will be trimmed from 12 to eight at the checkered flag.
Known as the “business turnaround king” on his CNBC prime time reality series “The Profit,” Lemonis uses his famous “three Ps” principle (People, Process and Product) to assist struggling businesses from a variety of industries around the country. “The Profit” will premiere all-new episodes starting October 28 at 11p ET.
Noted for his tenacity, shrewdness and determination, Lemonis’ greatest business success has been in establishing Camping World, the world’s largest RV and outdoor retailer, and Good Sam, the nation’s largest RV owner’s organization. The CampingWorld.com 500 will be the anchor event of an exciting weekend (Oct. 23-25) that will also feature the fred’s 250 Powered by Coca-Cola NASCAR Camping World Truck Series™ race.
The partnership between Camping World and Talladega Superspeedway rekindles a relationship that existed from 2011-2013 when Camping World served as the entitlement sponsor for the fall NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega. The CampingWorld.com 500, set for a 1:30 p.m. CDTstart, is the final and deciding race of the Contender Round in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup in which 12 drivers eligible for the title will be trimmed to eight at the checkered flag.
Lemonis has streamlined the RV industry, buying and developing more than 100 RV companies from dealerships across the country and turning them into Camping World RV SuperCenters. After combining Camping World with Good Sam Enterprises in 2010, Lemonis now leads nearly 7,000 employees in over 100 U.S. cities who recorded close to $3 billion in sales in 2014.
Camping World has served as title sponsor of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series™ since 2009 in addition to being the Official RV and Outdoor Retailer of NASCAR® and in 2016 America’s number one RV and camping retailer will celebrate its 50th anniversary.
Talladega’s weekend kicks off on Friday (Oct. 23) with practice sessions for both the fred’s 250 Powered by Coca-Cola and the CampingWorld.com500. Saturday’s (Oct. 24) slate includes qualifying for both races, as well as the drop of the green flag for the fred’s 250 Powered by Coca-ColaNASCAR Camping World Truck Series race (starting at noon CDT) which will feature veterans like Matt Crafton and Johnny Sauter as they try to hold off hard-charging young guns like Erik Jones, Tyler Reddick and others in the NCWTS championship chase. Last year’s CampingWorld.com 500NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race saw three of NASCAR’s top names – Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Jimmie Johnson and Brad Keselowski – all enter the race needing a win to advance in the championship battle, and it was Keselowski who accomplished the feat.
About Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega Superspeedway is NASCAR’s Most Competitive Track (record 88 lead changes in 188 laps), most banked (33 degrees), and longest (2.66 miles), as well as the most fun and fan-friendly, offering up hundreds of acres of free camping, amazing kids ticket prices and special offers for military members and college students. The historic venue, built in 1969, is NASCAR’s “Party Capital” thanks to the track’s infamous infield, which features the traditional Saturday Night concert and the world renowned Talladega Blvd, home of the “Big One on the Blvd” party. It is the site of the most comfortable seats in motorsports, large video viewing boards (a new initiative planned for future implementation at all ISC tracks) lining the frontstretch and endless activities for fans throughout its event weekends. Log on to www.talladegasuperspeedway.
