Following a two-week stay in Virginia, NASCAR drivers will throw it down in Fort Worth, Texas for a triple-header weekend at Texas Motor Speedway.
The 1.5-mile track will host a spring points race for the first time since 2019 after its date was moved from the fall playoff race for 2024.
They say everything is bigger in Texas, and with some fresh tempers from a short track swing, the heat may loom large this weekend. In addition, the track will welcome a big-name football coach in addition to other dignitaries for the races.
Grand Marshal: TCU head football coach Sonny Dykes will give the command for the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400. Dykes led the Horned Frogs to the 2023 College Football Playoff National Championship after winning the Big 12 title that season. Dykes has also served as the head coach at Southern Methodist University, Cal and Lousiana Tech.
Honorary Starter: United States Army Major General Kevin D. Admiral will wave the green flag for the NASCAR Cup Series race. Admiral has received a multitude of awards for his service, including the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart and Distinguished Service Medal.
God Bless America: Don Graves will sing “God Bless America” prior to the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400. Graves, who is 98 years old, is a United States Marine veteran and survivor of Iwo Jima.
Invocation: Joe Gibbs Racing owner and former three-time Super Bowl champion head coach Joe Gibbs will give the prayer prior to the Cup race.
National Anthem: The Texas Boys Choir will perform the national anthem prior to the Cup event. The group, which consists of 40 boys, was founded in 1946 and has performed in Fort Worth since 1957.
Flyover: The E-3 Sentry from the 552 Air Control Wing based out of Tinker AFB, Okla. will fly over the track during the national anthem.
Pre-Race Concert: 38 Special will entertain the crowd prior to the Cup race. The Southern Rock band has sold over 20 million copies of their albums since organizing in 1977.
Luken Glover joined the Frontstretch team in 2020 as a news writer before elevating to a columnist, where he served as the longtime writer for The Underdog House. Currently, he is an editor for the site and conducts feature interviews. Glover has covered several forms of racing for the site including NASCAR, CARS Tour, and SRX events.
A 2023 graduate of the University of the Cumberlands, Glover is a promotional writer, elementary athletic director, and basketball coach. He is passionate about serving in his church, playing/coaching a wide variety of sports, and researching motorsports history.