Mega movie star Adam Sandler will return home on July 19 when he serves as the special 25th Anniversary Grand Marshal for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Sandler, a native of Manchester, N.H., will star in this summer’s action comedy “Pixels”, which will hit theaters July 24.

New Hampshire Motor Speedway officials made the Sandler announcement on Wednesday night in front of fans and media at the speedway’s 25th anniversary event with New Englander and Sprint Cup Series driver Joey Logano. Sandler will participate in driver introductions on the Magic Mile frontstretch and attend the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers meeting prior to giving the command for drivers to start their engines, moments before the running of the New Hampshire 301.

Commenting on the announcement, Sandler said, “When I was a little kid in New Hampshire, I used to watch NASCAR with my dad and brother and we looooved it. I know my dad would be baffled that I’m getting this honor and I'll be thinking of him when I'm saying those words! Great to be home! Always!”

Adam Sandler, who hails from Manchester and graduated from Central High School, has enjoyed phenomenal success as an actor, writer, producer and musician.

This year, Sandler will star in and produce two films for Sony Pictures: “Pixels”, for director Chris Columbus, starring alongside Peter Dinklage, Josh Gad and Kevin James, and “Hotel Transylvania 2”, where he will once again lend his voice to Dracula.

The New Hampshire 301 will be live on NBC Sports starting at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 19.

NHMS PR

Powered by Richard Childress Racing's partnership with VF Imagewear, Arrow Uniform, an industry leader an innovator in garment processing and delivery, will be featured on the No. 3 Chevrolet Camaro during the NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Michigan International Speedway on June 13, 2015.

Family owned and operated for three generations, Arrow Uniform serves more than 20,000 customers nationwide and is a longtime customer of VF Imagewear. Red Kap, a leading workwear brand of VF Imagewear and the official workwear provider of RCR and ECR Engines employees, will also be featured on the No. 3 Chevrolet in Michigan.

"We look forward to hosting VF Imagewear's valued customer Arrow Uniform at Michigan International Speedway next month," said Torrey Galida, president of RCR. "RCR is proud to support VF Imagewear's efforts to engage their customers through its racing program."

"VF Imagewear is excited to partner with Arrow Uniform and Richard Childress Racing to sponsor Ty Dillon and the No. 3 Chevrolet Camaro at the upcoming race in Michigan," said Jim Tewmey, vice president of sales for VF Imagewear. "Arrow Uniform is a longterm customer of VF Imagewear. We appreciate and value their support in the market place."

RCR PR

Daytona International Speedway (DIS) today announced that Jones Sign Company, Musco Lighting and P&S Paving, Inc. have become the latest partners to join the expanding “We Built Daytona” marketing platform for the $400 million DAYTONA Rising redevelopment project. 

• Jones Sign Company, a national specialist in the sign manufacturer and sign installation industry, will provide nearly 3,000 signs and more than 120,000 square feet of graphics for the new injectors/entrances. The company will also produce the DIS “Supersign” LED-lit letters, measuring 13 feet 6 inches tall and 286 feet wide.

• Musco Lighting, a global leader in the design and manufacture of sports-lighting systems, will illuminate the new frontstretch grandstand. In 1998, Musco lighted the speedway using its Mitran™ system specifically designed to meet the needs of drivers, spectators, and television broadcasts.  The new frontstretch of the grandstand will feature more than 700 of Musco’s Green Generation™ fixtures producing 77 million lumens of light.

• P&S Paving, an asphalt paving, heavy highway contractor based in Daytona Beach, is providing paving and dirt services. During the past year, the company has installed more than 50,000 square yards of temporary asphalt and 13 miles of utility piping.

“We are very happy to welcome these partners as part of our ‘We Built Daytona’ platform,” said DIS President Joie Chitwood III. “We’re honored to showcase their products and work throughout our facility that will contribute to reimagining the experience at DIS.”

The “We Built Daytona” platform is designed specifically for partners involved in the construction of DAYTONA Rising and enables them to showcase their involvement through a marketing presence (once their role in the project begins). Financial terms of the agreements were not disclosed.

The above companies join the growing list of “We Built Daytona” partners, including Kingspan Insulated Panels, USG Corporation (NYSE:USG), CommScope, Sherwin-Williams, Big Ass Fans, ROSSETTI, Walter P. Moore, M-E Engineers and Schneider Electric.

Following construction, partners can feature products in-use at the new DIS, providing them with a real-time showroom. Additionally, partners will receive special recognition as “We Built Daytona” partners within the facility, along with brand exposure opportunities via digital display boards and corporate hospitality opportunities for entertaining guests during major events.

DIS PR

Harrison Rhodes will attempt to regain some momentum in his season in Saturday’s Buckle Up 200 Xfinity Series race at Dover International Speedway.

Rhodes, a rookie, has finished in the 30s in the past three series races after a string of better runs.

“We’re looking for a turnaround this week,” Rhodes said. “We haven’t run lately like we want to, and Dover is a good place to get things back on track.”

Rhodes has experience at the tough one-mile track, having raced in a pair of Xfinity events there.

He is 23rd in Xfinity driver points entering the race.

JD Motorsports PR

Rookie Ross Chastain will be driving in his first Xfinity Series race at Dover International Speedway in Saturday’s Buckle Up 200.

Chastain has raced in two Camping World Truck Series events at the one-mile track but will drive an Xfinity car at Dover for the first time as he pilots the Watermelon.org/Hero’s Haven Chevrolet Saturday afternoon.

“We’re looking to get back on course at Dover,” said Chastain, who has finishes of 32nd and 31st in the past two Xfinity races. “I’ve been on that track enough to know what’s what there. You have to go fast, but you have to handle well in the corners, too. There’s not much room for error.”

Chastain is 16th in Xfinity points entering the 12th race of the season.

JD Motorsports PR

Landon Cassill is only 25 years old, but he is a veteran at Dover International Speedway.

Cassill has raced in nine Sprint Cup, eight Xfinity and one Camping World Truck Series race at the famous one-mile track. He’ll record another start in Saturday’s Buckle Up 200 Xfinity race, the 12th event on the seasonal schedule.

Medings Seafood and Iron Source will return as sponsors of Cassill’s JD Motorsports with Gary Keller Chevrolet for Saturday’s race.

“I feel like I know every inch of that track,” said Cassill of the Dover facility. “I really enjoy racing there. If your car is hooked up on the high banks, you can turn some really fast laps.”

Cassill sits in 13th – his highest positioning of the season – in Xfinity driver points entering the race.

JD Motorsports PR

The week of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Bojangles’ Southern 500, August 31-September 6, 2015, has been named “Darlington Raceway Week, a Week Too Tough To Tame” after the South Carolina Senate and House of Representatives passed a concurrent Resolution.

The famed track’s 66-year history is a major reason that the South Carolina Senate and House of Representatives passed the concurrent Resolution, led by state Senator Gerald Malloy, D-Hartsville.

The Resolution outlines the historical significance of Darlington Raceway and addresses the role the track played in building the foundation of what has become one of the largest spectator sports in the country.

“We can’t thank our state government, led by Senator Malloy, enough for passing this Resolution declaring August 31-September 6 as Darlington Raceway Week, a Week Too Tough To Tame in South Carolina,” Darlington Raceway President Chip Wile said. “Our leaders recognize the economic importance that the track and NASCAR brings to the state every year. It is an honor to host one of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ most prestigious events in the Palmetto State, and in turn bring a tremendous amount of economic impact to the Pee Dee area.”

The Bojangles’ Southern 500 returns to Darlington Raceway on its traditional Labor Day weekend in 2015. The track hosted NASCAR events on Labor Day weekend from 1950-2003.

The return has brought a renewed level of excitement to the state, one that is being embraced by the community and its government leaders.

“Returning to Labor Day weekend has brought Darlington Raceway and the state of South Carolina back to the forefront on the NASCAR circuit,” Wile said. “We appreciate the support with the Bojangles’ Southern 500 returning to its historical date on the racing calendar.”

Racing action will start on Friday, Sept. 4, with NASCAR XFINITY and Sprint Cup Series practices from 12:30 p.m. – 6 p.m. The track is opening the grandstands to fans for just $5.

Saturday, Sept. 5, features a full day of on-track activity scheduled including qualifying for the Sprint Cup and XFINITY Series. The day will conclude with the XFINITY Series VFW Sport Clips Help A Hero 200 at 3:30 p.m. on NBC.

Sunday, Sept. 6, the Bojangles’ Southern 500 will take the green-flag at 7 p.m. on NBC with NASCAR’s biggest stars battling for the Johnny Mantz Bojangles’ Southern 500 trophy under the lights at the track Too Tough To Tame.

Darlington Raceway PR

When Tony Stewart arrived at Dover (Del.) International Speedway in the spring of 2000 as a sophomore driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, he was 10^th in the championship point standings with three top-fives and seven top-10s in 12 races. He had led a total of 71 laps, and 69 of them had come two races prior at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway. His best finish was a second-place effort in the third race of the season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Stewart was close to catching fire, but he needed a spark. Enter the Monster Mile.

The 1-mile, concrete oval known for chewing up and spitting out even the most seasoned of Sprint Cup drivers was thoroughly tamed by Stewart. He led 242 of the 400 laps, the most of any driver, to become the 12^th different winner of the 2000 season. It was a monster of a drive that kicked Stewart’s season into gear, initiating a nine-race stretch that brought two more wins and seven top-10s.

Driving the No. 14 Code 3 Associates/Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) this Sunday at Dover in the FedEx 400 Benefitting Autism Speaks, Stewart seeks another monster drive – both on the track and off.

For the second time in 2015, Stewart will carry the colors of Code 3 Associates, a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization specializing in animal rescue and recovery in disaster areas. Since launching in 1985, the mission of Code 3 Associates has remained the same – to provide professional disaster response for animals in need, and to train individuals involved in animal-related law enforcement and emergency response to safely and effectively carry out their responsibilities to the animals and people in their communities.

This weekend, Code 3 Associates aims to raise awareness and drive membership via its free membership program – a package that offers concerned individuals the opportunity to get involved at no cost. All they need to do is sign up at www.Code3Associates.org or text “TONY” to 38470.

Enter Stewart.

Now a three-time Sprint Cup champion with 48 career victories, Stewart is also a three-time winner at Dover. After sweeping the track’s slate of Sprint Cup races in 2000 where he bookended his spring performance by leading 163 laps in the fall race, Stewart scored his third Dover victory 12 years later when he won the 2013 FedEx 400 Benefitting Autism Speaks.

The win was evocative of Stewart’s early days at Dover where from 1999 to 2004 he finished outside the top-10 only once – an 11^th-place finish in June 2002. During that 12-race span, Stewart scored two wins, nine top-fives and 11 top-10s.

Stewart has displayed some monster drives at the Monster Mile, which is why Code 3 Associates paired with Stewart to drive membership. Another opportunity awaits Sunday in the FedEx 400 Benefitting Autism Speaks.

TSC PR

While the first day of summer is still a few weeks away, the unofficial start to the summer season always begins with Memorial Day. And for Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), that’s music to his ears.

Summer takes on a completely different meaning for anyone associated with the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The imagery of backyard barbecues and sandcastles are replaced with images of tracks with the names Dover, Pocono, Michigan and Sonoma – just to name a few. The first 12 races of the season are in the books and the second third of the schedule, the “Summer Swing,” begins with Sunday’s FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks at Dover (Del.) International Speedway.

The upcoming series of events can be a brutal stretch with extensive travel to locations up and down the Eastern Seaboard, to the road race on the West Coast and back, to the beaches of Daytona for the annual Fourth of July weekend event. In addition to the travel schedule, summer means rising temperatures and the need to prepare for the increased heat. While this portion of the NASCAR schedule is tough, some drivers find comfort in getting down to business at a series of tracks for which they have an affinity. Busch is one such driver.

Busch has visited victory lane at four of the next five racetracks the series visits, including this weekend’s race at Dover. He has two wins apiece at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway and Michigan International Raceway in Brooklyn, one at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway, and also has two top-10s at Kentucky – all tracks on the Sprint Cup schedule in the coming month. In fact, of his 26 career Sprint Cup victories, 10 have come in the summer months.

While Busch has had a rough go of it at the concrete Dover oval since his fall 2011 win – his best finish since is 12th in June 2013 – he does have reason to believe this weekend may bring an end to that trend. Busch has been a weekly contender this season and has recorded top-15 finishes in his last 12 Sprint Cup starts – tying the longest consecutive top-15 streak of his career. The last time he accomplished the feat was in 2004, the year he won the Sprint Cup championship.

With his most recent victory at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway last month, Busch and the No. 41 team are virtually guaranteed a spot in the 2015 Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship playoffs. With plenty of racing to be done until the Chase begins at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois in September, Busch and his Tony Gibson-led crew can now race aggressively for additional wins. A victory at Dover this weekend would move Busch ahead of the six other single-race winners of the 2015 season. The 16 drivers who qualify for the Chase will have their points total reset to 2,000 and will be seeded based on bonus points – three per win – earned prior to the start of the Chase.

TSC PR

On Sunday, May 31, Dover International Speedway will dedicate a special POW/MIA memorial as part of their pre-race activities before the “FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks” NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.

The POW/MIA National Chair of Honor “One Empty Seat” is an initiative that was created to help recognize and honor the more than 92,000 American soldiers who are unaccounted for since World War I. These unoccupied seats are dedicated to the memory of the brave men and women and to the sacrifices each made in serving our country.

A commemorative stand and plaque are mounted in section 103, Row 1, of the Dover grandstands in front of the empty chair, describing its significance.

Before the race, Colonel Len Gratteri with the Delaware National Guard will unveil this meaningful memorial in honor of his uncle, Private First Class John Straley, who has been missing in action since January 1964. The Rolling Thunder group will also participate in a ceremonial parade lap before that race that will include approx. 150 motorcycles.

“We are pleased and honored to participate in this symbolic initiative,” said Michael Tatoian, president and CEO of Dover International Speedway. “The POW/MIA One Empty Seat program recognizes the thousands of men and women who have fought courageously for our country, and we know how much this will resonate with our very patriotic fan base here in Dover.”

The effort to dedicate the chair at Dover International Speedway was spearheaded by Patrick J. Hughes, who served in the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War.  Hughes is a member of Rolling Thunder® Inc. National Chapter.  A mission of Rolling Thunder is the POW/MIA National Chair of Honor program, “One Empty Seat,” which aims to place chairs in stadiums across the United States to pay respect to those service men and women who are still missing.

Dover Motorsports PR