Richmond Raceway (Richmond) announces Super Bowl champion and FOX Sports NFL Analyst Rondé Barber will return to his home state of Virginia as the Honorary Pace Car Driver for the TOYOTA OWNERS 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race on Saturday, April 13. Barber, a native of Roanoke, Va. and former University of Virginia football star, will lead the field to green in the Official Toyota Camry Pace Car for the spring Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race under the lights.
“We are happy to welcome Rondé Barber back home to the Commonwealth of Virginia as the Honorary Pace Car Driver at Richmond Raceway,” said Richmond President Dennis Bickmeier. “In Virginia, Rondé has provided hope to many youth that they too can achieve their sports dreams. We look forward to watching him reach another sports pinnacle by leading the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series field to green for the TOYOTA OWNERS 400.”
“It’s always good to get back to Virginia and try something I’ve never done before,” Barber said. “Who doesn’t want to drive the pace car? Tiki [Barber; twin brother] had the honor last year at Pocono. He usually tries to beat me to the punch at everything, but I will have the distinction of leading the field to green near our hometown and will do my best to outdo him. Plus, I spent some time with the FOX NASCAR team in Daytona the past couple of years, so I am sure they’ll be watching to see if I was paying attention.”
Barber, a five-time Pro Bowler and one of the most consistent cornerbacks in NFL history, graduated from Cave Spring High School in 1993 in Roanoke, Va., where he was a standout in football, wrestling and track. He won the national title in 1993 in track in the 55-meter hurdles, posting a career-best time of 7.18 seconds, then the fourth-best time ever.
He received a football scholarship to the University of Virginia, earning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Freshman of the Year Award and leading the nation in interceptions (eight) in his 1994 redshirt freshman year. Barber garnered first-team All-ACC honors in all three seasons at Virginia and was part of the teams that won the 1994 Independence Bowl and December 1995 Peach Bowl. Barber ranks third all-time in school history with 15 career interceptions, starting all 36 games. After his college football career at Virginia concluded, Barber graduated from the university’s McIntire School of Commerce in 1997 with a bachelor’s degree in commerce with an emphasis in marketing.
A resident of Virginia until his selection by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the 66th overall pick in the 1997 NFL Draft, Barber was named to five Pro Bowls (2001, 2004-2006 and 2008). He earned three first-team All-Pro (2001, 2004 and 2005) and two second-team All-Pro selections (2002 and 2006). Barber was named to the NFL 2000’s All-Decade Team and played in every game from 2000-‘12.
The only player in NFL history to record more than 45 interceptions and 25 sacks, Barber also led the league in interceptions (10) in 2001. He remains the Buccaneers’ all-time interceptions leader (47) and the organization’s lone member of the “40/20 club” (40+ interceptions, 20+ quarterback sacks). Barber also owns the most consecutive starts by a defensive back (215) and cornerback (200) in NFL history. The biggest achievement of his career, however, came during the 2002 season, when Barber helped lead Tampa Bay to a victory in Super Bowl XXXVII over the Oakland Raiders.
Barber retired from the NFL at the conclusion of the 2012 season and joined FOX Sports as an NFL game analyst beginning with the 2013 season. He was nominated to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a first-ballot candidate in late 2017 and progressed to the semifinalist stage in just his first year of eligibility. In 2014, he was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.
For more information on Barber, visit FOX Sports Press Pass.
Richmond Raceway PR
