FONTANA, Calif. (Feb. 23, 2022) – Andrew Whitworth’s Super Bowl celebration is far from over. The Los Angeles Rams tackle and National Football League’s Walter Payton Man of the Year will serve as the grand marshal for the WISE Power 400 on Sunday, Feb. 27.
Fresh off the Rams’ 23-20 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI, Whitworth will give the command to start engines for the first NASCAR Cup Series race at Auto Club Speedway since 2020.
“It’s an incredible honor to have Andrew Whitworth join us for this special day,” said Auto Club Speedway President Dave Allen. “His performance on the field is only surpassed by his character off the field. We’re eager to give him a champion’s welcome prior to the WISE Power 400.”
At age 40, Whitworth became the oldest offensive lineman to start in a Super Bowl and he played an integral role in the Rams’ championship run. But Whitworth’s work away from the gridiron has been even more impactful during a stellar 16-year NFL career. His Big Whit Homes for L.A. donates $20,000 after each Rams home game, and he works tirelessly with Southern California nonprofits to aid those facing housing insecurity.
Whitworth will certainly be celebrated for all that has made him beloved in Southern California before and after his big moment at Auto Club Speedway.
“My wife Melissa is a huge NASCAR fan and one of our first dates we spent the weekend tailgating at Talladega,” said Whitworth. “I’m not too sure if I’d fit in a race car so giving the iconic phrase is the next best thing. We would like to thank Auto Club Speedway for having us as their special guest and we are looking forward to meeting the drivers and fans.”
The 2022 WISE Power 400 caps two great days of NASCAR racing on the high-speed, 2-mile oval of Auto Club Speedway. Racing begins Saturday, Feb. 26 with the Production Alliance Group 300, the second race of the NASCAR Xfinity Series season. And then on Sunday, Feb. 27, the WISE Power 400 will thrill fans with Auto Club Speedway’s first NASCAR Cup Series race since Alex Bowman took the checkered flag on March 1, 2020.
Tickets for both days are on sale now at www.autoclubspeedway.com
About Auto Club Speedway
Located 50 miles east of Los Angeles in Fontana, Auto Club Speedway is California’s premier motorsports facility, hosting over 320 days of track activity each year including a NASCAR Cup Series weekend. The two-mile D-shaped oval is one of the fastest tracks on the NASCAR circuit. The Speedway is also home to numerous movie, 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), visit www.AutoClubSpeedway.com or download the new NASCAR Tracks App at www.autoclubspeedway.com/nascar-tracks-app/
About NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 16 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR consists of three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series™), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour), one local grassroots series (NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series) and three international series (NASCAR Pinty’s Series, NASCAR Peak Mexico Series, NASCAR Whelen Euro Series). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (‘NASCAR’).
