NASCAR Track News

Grammy Award nominee and multi-platinum recording artist Gavin DeGraw will serve as the honorary pace car driver at the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday, March 1. The 38-year-old singer/songwriter will be behind the wheel for the initial pace laps prior to the green flag as NASCAR’s top drivers speed into the second race of the 2015 season.

NASCAR announced today that long-time official Kim Lopez will be the chief starter for Sunday’s 57th running of the Daytona 500. She will become the first woman and first Hispanic to flag the Great American Race, which begins at 1 p.m. ET Sunday, live on FOX, Motor Racing Network Radio, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Leading earthmoving and material-handling equipment manufacturer, Hyundai Construction Equipment Americas, Inc., has been named the title sponsor of the Feb. 28, 2015 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The event will be named the Hyundai Construction Equipment 200.

Abby Wambach, Kelley O’Hara and Christie Rampone will represent the U. S. Women’s National Soccer Team as the Honorary Starters of the 57th annual DAYTONA 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on Sunday, Feb. 22 at 1 p.m.at Daytona International Speedway (TV – FOX, FOX Deportes; Radio – MRN Radio, SiriusXM).

Singer/songwriter Phillip Phillips, will sing the National Anthem prior to the 57th annual DAYTONA 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 22 at 1:00 p.m. ET on FOX. “The Great American Race” will also broadcast live on FOX Deportes, Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio with additional coverage on NASCAR.com.

Phoenix International Raceway President Bryan R. Sperber announced today that Axalta Coating Systems will be recognized as the title sponsor of the track’s March NASCAR XFINITY Series race. The Axalta Faster. Tougher. Brighter. 200, a two-year entitlement, will officially kick off the NASCAR XFINITY series at PIR on Saturday, March 14 at 1 p.m. local time (4 p.m. Eastern).

Richard Petty, a seven-time NASCAR champion, winner of over 200 career races and a 2010 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee, continues to collect numerous accolades for a legendary career behind the wheel of a stock car that began nearly 60 years ago. Petty will be inducted into the City of Hampton, Georgia’s Speedway Lane Hall of Fame in a ceremony at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 26 at Downtown Hampton’s Depot Park, as the home city of Atlanta Motor Speedway honors the racing legend to kick off its four-day 2015 NASCAR weekend.

Vince Vaughn, the star of 20th Century Fox’s and New Regency’s upcoming comedy “Unfinished Business,” in theaters everywhere March 6, will serve as Grand Marshal for the 57th annual DAYTONA 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Sunday, Feb. 22 at 1 p.m. ET on FOX from Daytona International Speedway. “The Great American Race” will also broadcast live on FOX Deportes, Motor Racing Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio with additional coverage on NASCAR.com.

In 1992, few could have predicted that when Jeff Gordon strapped into the No. 24 car for Hendrick Motorsports at Atlanta Motor Speedway for his first Sprint Cup Series start on Nov. 15 of that year that he was embarking on a career more than two decades long to become one of the sport’s foremost icons. Twenty-three years and four Sprint Cup Series championships later, Gordon will return March 1 to Atlanta, still driving the No. 24 for Hendrick Motorsports, to compete for his sixth career victory there, as his final full-time season behind the wheel begins in earnest.

The GEICO 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama, roars back into action May 1-3.