Pre-Race Fan Q&A a Part of the New Talladega Garage Experience Opening this October!
TALLADEGA, Ala. – Reigning Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion and three-time Talladega Superspeedway winner Joey Logano, along with fan-favorite Matt DiBenedetto and NASCAR Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace, are set to participate in the Pre-Race Fan Question & Answer session prior to the track’s 1000Bulbs.com 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) event on Sunday, Oct. 13.
The Fan Q&A session will be held at the stage in the brand-new Celebration Plaza, which will be located in the one-of-a-kind Talladega Garage Experience that is part of Transformation – The Talladega Superspeedway Infield Project presented by Graybar. Fans who purchase a Sunday admission to the Talladega Garage Experience ($89 in advance for adults 13 & older and $39 for kids 12 & under. Pricing will go up on race week ($95 for adults)), in addition to a 1000Bulbs.com 500 ticket or infield wristband, will get the chance to ask the group questions prior to the highly anticipated 1000Bulbs.com 500, the second race in the Round of 12 in the series playoffs. The Fan Q&A is scheduled to start at 9:30 a.m. (CDT). Additional drivers/personalities that will take part in the Fan Q&A line-up will be announced at a later date.
In addition to seeing some of NASCAR’s favorites on stage, as part of the Talladega Garage Experience fans will also receive exclusive access inside all of the Monster Energy Cup garages via an “up-close” fan viewing walkway where they will be just feet away from where the drivers and teams prepare the cars during race weekend. The Talladega Garage Experience will also offer FREE Wi-Fi, social and engagement areas, a fan viewing area in the new Gatorade Victory Lane (where fans will have an area to get close to the winner’s celebration), a kids zone, incredible $4 or less Value-Priced Concessions (except for the $9 Big One Meatball), plus much more!
Below is information on the initial trio for the Fan Q&A session:
Logano, driver of the No. 22 Team Penske Ford, posted his initial Talladega Superspeedway (TSS) victory in the 2015 1000Bulbs.com 500, and a year later, made it back-to-back fall event triumphs. His most recent TSS win came in the 2018 GEICO 500. Logano, who has 21 starts in NASCAR’s premier series, made his debut at Talladega in an ARCA Menards Series race in 2008. He is also a two-time winner in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) at Talladega with victories in the MoneyLion 300 in 2012 and 2015.
DiBenedetto, driver of the No. 95 Leavine Family Racing Toyota, is in his first season driving full-time for the team. He has been producing stellar results this year, recently earning a career-best runner-up finish in the Monster Cup Series (August), and in the last 10 events, has placed inside the top 10 on six occasions. DiBenedetto made his first appearance at TSS in the NXS in 2014 and will be making his 10th TSS MENCS career start in the 1000Bulbs.com 500. He has shown strength at the “Super” Superspeedways – Talladega and Daytona – this season, leading a race-high 49 laps in the season-opening Daytona 500 and was a frontrunner at ‘Dega in the spring before a late-race accident eliminated him from competition.
Wallace, the 1989 NASCAR premier series champion, serves as Lead Analyst for the Motor Racing Network, the primary source for NASCAR stock car racing broadcasts. Talladega was one of Wallace’s toughest tracks. Out of the 45 starts he made at TSS, he claimed 12 top-10 results, and finished in the top five once (1988-fifth). He did, however, go to the track’s Gatorade Victory Lane twice in his career – 1980 in the Alabama 300 Grand American race & in 1991 in the International Race of Champions (IROC). The legendary NASCAR Hall of Famer is also a member of the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, located just outside the mammoth track. His Cup Series career spanned from 1980-2005, where he made 706 career starts and produced 55 victories.
For more information and to purchase a Talladega Garage Experience admission,simply visit www.talladegasuperspeedway.com or call 855-518-RACE (7223). Fans can learn more about the entire Transformation Infield Project presented by Graybar by visiting www.talladegasuperspeedway.com/transformation.
*Driver availability for the TSS Pre-Race Fan Question & Answer session is subject to change and without notice. Neither NASCAR nor any of its affiliates are responsible for this event*
About Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega Superspeedway – which will celebrate its 50th anniversary this year – is the most competitive race track on the NASCAR schedule (record 88 lead changes in 188 laps), the highest-banked (33 degrees) and the longest (2.66 miles) as well as the most fun and fan-friendly. Talladega offers something for everyone, including hundreds of acres of free camping, amazing kids tickets and college student prices, along with special offers for military members, first responders, teachers and educators. The historic venue, which opened in 1969, is deemed NASCAR’s “Party Capital” thanks to the track’s infamous infield, the traditional Saturday Night Infield Concert on event weekends and renowned Talladega Blvd., home of the “Big One on the Blvd.” party. It’s the site of the most comfortable seats in motorsports, large ISM Vision HD video boards lining the frontstretch and numerous pre-race activities for fans on race day, including special Kids VIP opportunities. For ticket information, visit www.talladegasuperspeedway.com or call 855-518-RACE (7223).
The track, along with its parent company, International Speedway Corporation, announced last year Transformation – The Talladega Superspeedway Infield Project presented by Graybar. The approximate $50 million redevelopment endeavor is part of ISC’s long-term capital allocation plan and reinvestment into its major motorsports complexes. The project, highlighted by a one-of-a-kind Talladega Garage Experience, will feature “up-close” access, interactive attractions and enhanced amenities for fans, sponsors, teams and stakeholders in the iconic Talladega infield. Full completion of the modernized project is scheduled for October 2019. Fans can learn more about the project and view the progress 24/7 via the construction cam by visiting www.talladegasuperspeedway.com/transformation.
