TALLADEGA, AL – A former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winner at Talladega Superspeedway, a young, promising rookie driver for a legendary team, and a legendary Hall of Famer are scheduled to be a part of the track’s Pre-Race Fan Question & Answer session at the Start/Finish Line on Sunday, May 3, prior to the start of the GEICO 500.
Hear first-hand how Clint Bowyer, who has two triumphs at the 2.66-mile track, and Ryan Blaney, who pilots the iconic No. 21 for the famed Wood Brothers, plan to tackle the biggest and baddest race track on the planet. Plus, NASCAR Hall of Famer and International Motorsports Hall of Fame member, Rusty Wallace, will give his thoughts on who he thinks will win the GEICO 500.
Fans who want to crank up their race day experience have the opportunity to be a part of the Fan Q&A session, which will be hosted by a Motor Racing Network (MRN) personality. The pre-race experience is available to all fans with the purchase of Talladega Superspeedway’s “Pit Pass Upgrade.”
Bowyer, driver of No. 15 Toyota Camry for Michael Waltrip Racing, went to Victory Lane at NASCAR’s Most Competitive venue in 2010 and 2011. Last season, he came away with a pair of third-place efforts. Blaney made a strong NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut at the colossal track this past fall with Team Penske, where he led two times for 15 laps after starting a career high fourth. The second generation driver (son of veteran driver Dave Blaney) returns this spring with Wood Brothers Racing, which has five triumphs at Talladega with the likes of racing legends David Pearson, Donnie Allison and Neil Bonnett behind the wheel.
Wallace, the 1989 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion, won 55 career races in his career before retiring in 2005. Currently an analyst for the Motor Racing Network (MRN), he never won a NASCAR race at Talladega, but did go to the winners circle at the historic venue in an International Race of Champions (IROC) event in 1991. Additional drivers/personalities that will be part of the Fan Q&A lineup will be announced in the near future.
The “Pit Pass Upgrade,” which can be purchased for $75, grants access to the special Q&A session, which is tentatively scheduled from 8:45 a.m. until 9:45 a.m. (CST). It also gives fans the unique ability to get up close and personal with NASCAR’s warriors as they take in all the festivities at the Pre-Race stage, including Driver Introductions for the GEICO 500, which will include an array of special guests and VIPs, as well as the Honorary Starter and Grand Marshal for the event.
Experience Talladega Superspeedway from a crew member’s perspective on race morning, where fans can take a stroll down Pit Road and see the cars placed in position to start the race, and have the opportunity to witness crews set up each pit stall. It also allows access to the Red Carpet Entry to the mandated Drivers Meeting. Fans will see the drivers, crew chiefs, team owners, celebrities and NASCAR officials walk down the red carpet into the meeting, where race procedures and protocol will be explained.
The Pit Pass Upgrade goes into effect on Sunday from 8 a.m. until the conclusion of Driver Introductions. Sunday’s GEICO 500 is set for a 12 Noon CST start. To purchase the Pit Pass Upgrade, simply log onto www.talladegasuperspeedway.com or call 877-Go2-DEGA.
After time spent on Pit Road it will feel great settling into Talladega’s roomy and comfortable 21- and 22-inch wide chair back seats. The mammoth High Definition Sprint Vision video boards that were implemented in 2014 will be back and placed along the frontstretch to provide views of the whole track to every seat in the house. The video boards, three of which that are now permanent, are an initiative that is planned to be implemented at all International Speedway Corporation (ISC) tracks in the coming years.
Talladega’s weekend kicks off on Friday (May 1) with practice sessions for the GEICO 500 and Winn-Dixie 300 (NASCAR XFINITY Series), as well as practice, qualifying and green flag for the International Motorsports Hall of Fame 200 ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards event, set to start at 5 pm (CST). The evening concludes with “The “Big One on the Blvd” Mardi Gras-style parade, which will feature NASCAR drivers and fan competitions on the track’s infield Talladega Blvd.
Saturday’s slate includes qualifying for the GEICO 500 and Winn-Dixie 300, followed by the start of the Winn-Dixie 300 at 2 p.m. (CST). The day concludes in the evening with the Talladega Superspeedway traditional Infield Concert. The concert is free with the purchase of a Sunday GEICO 500 (12 noon CST start) admission ticket. For ticket information, call 1-877-Go2-DEGA or visit www.talladegasuperspeedway.com.
All seating along the fronstretch grandstands and towers are equipped with roomy and comfortable 21- and 22-inch wide chair back seats. Large High Definition Sprint Vision video boards that were implemented in 2014 will be back – three are permanent – and placed along the frontstretch to provide views of the whole track to every seat in the house. The video boards, three of which that are now permanent, are an initiative that is planned to be implemented at all International Speedway Corporation (ISC) tracks in the coming years.
