Following a quick stop in Austin, Texas, NASCAR returns to its short track swing for the next two weeks.
For the third consecutive season, NASCAR will run on Easter as the NASCAR Cup Series event returns to a night race at Richmond Raceway. The NASCAR Xfinity Series race will also be at Richmond, tackling the track on March 30.
With a special Easter service in the afternoon and the stars of the sport driving under the lights, here is who you can expect to be at the track this weekend.
Easter Service/Pre-Race Concert: Several industry members and guests will contribute to an Easter service on Sunday afternoon. The guest speaker will be none other than three-time Super Bowl-winning head coach and five-time NASCAR Cup Series championship owner Joe Gibbs.
Michael Tait will perform in front of the fans at the service prior to the race. Tait is a four-time GRAMMY-winning artist who serves as the lead singer for Newsboys. His hits include “We Believe” and “Born Again.”
Cup driver Corey LaJoie will give a special welcome to commence the service.
Invocation: Kristin Labonte will give the invocation prior to the Toyota Owners 400. Labonte is the wife of NASCAR Hall-of-Famer and 2000 Cup champion Bobby Labonte.
Presentation of Colors: The Goochland High School MCJROTC will present the nation’s colors ahead of the Cup race.
National Anthem: Tait will also perform the national anthem before the Cup race sets sail.
Flyover: If you are at the track, look to the skies in turns 1 and 2 to see The Bandit Fly Team perform the flyover during the national anthem. Based out of Raleigh, N.C., The Bandit Flight Team has flown over several races previously.
Grand Marshal: Giving the most famous words in motorsports is Izzy Nelson, a Toyota owner who will be representing the Special Olympics of Virginia, as well as Brian Beck, a Special Olympics athlete in golf, softball and baseball.
Entering his fifth year with Frontstretch, Luken Glover is the author of The Underdog House, shedding light on the motivation and performance of NASCAR's dark horse teams as they strive to fight to the top. Additionally, Glover reports for the site at various events, and he contributes in the video editing department.
A 2023 graduate of the University of the Cumberlands, Glover is a middle school math and PE teacher, as well as a basketball coach. He is passionate about serving in his church, playing/coaching a wide variety of sports, and researching motorsports history.