TALLADEGA, AL – With the classic spring race weekend just days away, Talladega Superspeedway announced its lineup of pre-race dignitaries for all three events during the triple-header weekend. Six honorary officials will take part in the pre-race festivities prior to the GEICO 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, Sparks Energy 300 NASCAR XFINITY Series, and General Tire 200 ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards. They include:
GEICO 500
Grand Marshal: Serving as the Grand Marshal and giving the command to fire the engines prior to the GEICO 500 will be Frank Pickering, Assistant Vice President of Southeast Claims for GEICO. A 19-year GEICO employee, he currently works in the Macon, Georgia Regional Office. Before relocating to Georgia, he was the Assistant Director of Auto Damage Claims in the Fredericksburg, Virginia Regional Office.
Honorary Starter: Airman First Class Kellyn S. Connally, a Pharmacy Technician assigned to the 42d Medical Support Squadron at Maxwell Air Force Base (AL), will serve as the Honorary Starter, waving the green flag at the start of the action-packed 500-mile race. Airman Connally handles over 330,000 prescription requests, while consulting with 32 pharmacies. She educates nearly 40,000 individuals yearly on medication usage and manages 21 volunteers for the Medical Group’s Red Cross Volunteer Program.
Sparks Energy 300
Grand Marshal: Saturday afternoon Wayne Sternbergh, a great friend to Sparks Energy, will serve as the Grand Marshal, giving the command for NASCAR XFINITY drivers to start their engines. A native of Heyworth, Illinois, he has raced sprint and midget cars competitively for over twenty years and is an avid NASCAR fan.
Honorary Starter: Serving as the Honorary Starter will be Bill Torrance, Senior Vice President of Medline Industries in Northfield, Illinois. Torrance has been with Medline, the largest privately held manufacturer and distributor of medical supplies, since 1990. Currently, he is responsible for the company’s corporate sales and national account efforts within the life science business sector, which focuses on transplant and blood organizations.
General Tire 200
Grand Marshal: Alex Hood, Service Manager at the General Tire Edwards Chevrolet in Birmingham, Al, will kick off the whole race weekend by serving as the Grand Marshal for the General Tire 200 event by giving the most famous words in motorsports “Drivers, Start Your Engines.”
Honorary Starter: Keith Daniel, Quick Lane Manager at Long-Lewis Ford in Hoover, Al, will waive the first green flag of the weekend as the Honorary Starter of the event, that has been competing at Talladega since 1969.
For ticket information for the triple-header race weekend, featuring the MENCS GEICO 500, NXS Sparks Energy 300 and ARCA Racing Series General Tire 200, call 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 a special Q&A Session featuring drivers Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, Danica Patrick, Clint Bowyer and Chris Buescher, along with many other exciting opportunities race morning.
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.
