University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Head Football Coach Bill Clark will serve as the “Honorary Pace Truck Driver” for the fred’s 250 Powered by Coca-Cola NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race this Saturday, Oct. 24.
Clark, a native of nearby Anniston who was named head football coach at UAB in 2014 and then was awarded the Conference USA Coach of the Year, will pilot the Official Chevrolet Silverado Pace Truck to lead the 32-driver starting grid to the green flag at the start of the fred’s 250 Powered by Coca-Cola, which is set for 12:00 p.m. CDT.
Clark became the fifth head coach in Blazers’ history and completely turned around the UAB program. In his first year as head coach he led the Blazers to a 6-6 record after UAB had won only a combined five games the previous two seasons, making the Blazers bowl eligible for the first time in a decade. The Blazers set a school record with 15 players earning All-Conference USA honors, including three first-team selections. The Blazers also increased home attendance by 130 percent, the second-highest increase nationally.
The UAB Program was dropped on December 2, 2014, but was reinstated on June 1 earlier this year. Coach Clark remained as head coach through that time. The Blazers will restart competitive football again in 2017.
Clark has more than 20 years of coaching experience, taking his expertise to the collegiate and high school level. A graduate of Jacksonville State University in 1990, he became the Gamecocks head coach for the 2013 season and led JSU to an 11-4 record. It was the most victories at JSU since the 1992 campaign when the Gamecocks won the NCAA Division II National Championship under legendary coach Bill Burgess.
The fred’s 250 Powered by Coca-Cola kicks off the action packed weekend, which also includes the CampingWorld.com 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on Sunday Oct. 25 – the sixth race in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup and the final race in the Contender Round, where the field of eligible drivers will be trimmed from 12 to eight at the checkered flag. In addition to the fred’s 250 Powered by Coca-Cola, Saturday’s schedule includes Foodland/Food Giant qualifying for the CampingWorld.com 500, as well as qualifying for the fred’s 250 Powered by Coca-Cola.
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