TALLADEGA, AL – Alabama native Clayne Crawford, who portrays Detective Martin Riggs on the FOX hit show “LETHAL WEAPON,” will be the Honorary Pace Car driver for Sunday’s (May 7) GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.
The actor, who has had a successful career with both television and film roles, hails from Clay, AL, less than 50 miles away from NASCAR’s biggest and baddest race track on the planet – Talladega Superspeedway. He will lead the field of 40 drivers around the mammoth 2.66-mile venue to the green flag of the 10th race of the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season.
LETHAL WEAPON first aired on FOX in September 2016, and after a successful first season, was renewed for a second. The action-filled show reimagines the 1987 hit movie franchise by following two detectives, Riggs (Clayne Crawford) and Roger Murtaugh (Damon Wayans). Crawford’s character is an ex-Navy SEAL who moves to California to start over at LAPD after a family tragedy. There, he is assigned to work with Murtaugh, who is just returning to the line of duty following a heart attack. Despite clashing at first, after working with Murtaugh, Riggs quickly realizes he’s found not only a coworker, but a friend. One of them has everything to live for, and the other has nothing to lose.
Crawford also starred on the acclaimed cable series “Rectify,” which won the 2014 Peabody Award for Excellence in Television Broadcasting. He received a nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his part on the show.
He has been seen in a recurring role on “NCIS: New Orleans,” “Graceland,” and “Jericho,” the latter of which was named TV Program of the Year at the 2012 AFI Awards. His other TV credits include “The Glades,” “Justified” and FOX’s “24.”
In film, Crawford co-stars in the sci-fi feature “Spectral,” a thriller where a special ops team fights supernatural beings. In early 2016, he filmed the starring role in indie-thriller “Tinker,” which also features his son, Colt. Throughout the years, Crawford has appeared in “A Walk To Remember,” “A Love Song For Bobby Long,” “Swimfan,” “The Baytown Outlaws” and the 2010 Sundance Selection “The Perfect Host.”
Crawford continues to reside in Alabama with his wife and three kids, along with a host of horses, cattle and chickens. The family is actively engaged in the Seed to Plate movement, building school gardens and teaching children about the foods they eat.
The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series GEICO 500, which is set to begin at 1 p.m. CDT, will be the final race of a much-anticipated weekend. The Sparks Energy 300 NASCAR XFINITY Series event is set for Saturday at noon CDT, while the General Tire 200 ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards race will kick off the weekend at 5 p.m. CDT on Friday, May 5. Kids 12-and-under are admitted FREE to Friday and Saturday’s events.
For ticket information regarding this weekend’s races, call the Talladega Ticket Office at 855-518-RACE (7223) or log on to www.talladegasuperspeedway.com. A host of ticket upgrades are still available, including Pit Pass Upgrades, where fans have access to some special festivities like a Q&A Session featuring MENCS drivers Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, Danica Patrick, Clint Bowyer and Chris Buescher, along with many other exciting opportunities race morning.
The action-packed race weekend’s event schedule includes the following:
Friday, May 5
8:30 AM – 10:20 AM General Tire 200 ARCA Racing Series Final Practice
10:30 AM – 11:25 AM Sparks Energy 300 NASCAR XFINITY Series Practice
12:30 PM – 1:25 PM Sparks Energy 300 NASCAR XFINITY Final Practice
1:30 PM – 2:25 PM GEICO 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Practice
3:30 PM – 4:25 PM GEICO 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Final Practice
4:30 PM ARCA Driver Introductions
5:00 PM Green Flag – General Tire 200 ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards Race (76 Laps, 202.16 Miles)
7:00 PM “Big One On The Blvd” Fan Infield Parade & Competitions
Saturday, May 6
9:30 AM Sparks Energy 300 NASCAR XFINITY Series Qualifying
11:30 AM NXS Driver Introductions
12:00 PM Green Flag – Sparks Energy 300 NASCAR XFINITY Series Race (113 Laps, 300.58 Miles)
3:00 PM GEICO 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying
7:30 PM Traditional Infield Concert – Headlined by The Charlie Daniels Band
Sunday, May 7
12:20 PM MENCS Driver Introductions
1:00 PM Green Flag – GEICO 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Race (188 Laps, 500.08 Miles)
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 lining the frontstretch and endless activities for fans throughout its event weekends. Talladega Superspeedway’s next NASCAR weekend is set for May 5-7 with the Sparks Energy 300 NASCAR XFINITY Series race and the GEICO 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series event, in addition to the General Tire 200 for the ARCA Racing Series. Log on to www.talladegasuperspeedway.com or call 877-Go2-DEGA for more information.
