The world's most patriotic racing event weekend will feature a star-studded list of dignitaries, as the 60th running of the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday at Charlotte Motor Speedway is just five days from thrilling race fans from around the world.
This weekend features a sunny forecast perfect for racing action. The festivities kick off with Thursday's Spectrum Pole Night, which sets the field for the Coca-Cola 600 and concludes with the ARCA Menards Series' General Tire 150. The inaugural United Rentals Patriot Nationals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte gets underway on Friday and Saturday, with the NASCAR Xfinity' Series' Alsco 300 on Saturday at the 1.5-mile superspeedway serving as a prelude to the venerable Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday - which features dignitaries including U.S. Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Robert Neller - a four-star general, the highest-ranking Marine and the 37th Commandant of the Marine Corps - serving as grand marshal and giving drivers the command to start engines.
Additional dignitaries for this weekend include Coca-Cola 600 honorary pace car driver Charlotte Flair, a Charlotte, North Carolina, native and the most successful female WWE Superstar wrestler in WWE history. North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis will serve as honorary starter to wave the green flag for the Coca-Cola 600, while the Fort Bragg Firing Squad will render the 21 Gun Salute. Four U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Ospreys from Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 266 from Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina, will fly high over the crowd and U.S. Navy MUC William Edwards will sing the national anthem.
Dignitaries for Thursday's General Tire 150 include:
Presentation of Colors: UNCC Army ROTC Color Guard
Invocation: Tom Kipp, Motor Racing Outreach
National Anthem: Danielle Johnson
Grand Marshal: Bill Caldwell
Honorary Starter: Travis Roffler
Dignitaries for Friday's United Rentals Patriot Nationals include:
Presentation of Colors: Civil Air Patrol 111th Search and Rescue Composite Squadron
Invocation: Billy Mauldin, Motor Racing Outreach
National Anthem: U.S. Marine Corps Lance Corporal Marc Wilka
Dignitaries for Saturday's Alsco 300 and United Rentals Patriot Nationals include:
Alsco 300
Honorary Starter: Jerry Hailey
Grand Marshal: Phil Ford, University of North Carolina Basketball Legend
Presentation of Colors: Civil Air Patrol 111th Search and Rescue Composite Squadron
Invocation: Billy Mauldin, Motor Racing Outreach
National Anthem: U.S. Marine Corps Lance Corporal Marc Wilka
United Rentals Patriot Nationals
Presentation of Colors: Civil Air Patrol 111th Search and Rescue Composite Squadron
Invocation: Tom Kipp, Motor Racing Outreach
National Anthem: Eddie Digh
Dignitaries for Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 include:
Honorary Race Director: Tim Griffin, Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas
Honorary Pace Car Driver: Charlotte Flair, WWE Superstar
Honorary Starter: North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis
Grand Marshal: U.S. Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Robert Neller
God Bless America: 82nd Airborne Division All-American Chorus
Presentation of Colors: The United States Honor Guard Color Team from Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, DC
Invocation: Will Graham
Amazing Grace: Charlotte Fire Department Pipe Band
Taps: Bugler from Fort Bragg
21 Gun Salute: Fort Bragg Firing Squad
Fort Bragg Aerial Demonstration Team: Fort Bragg Charlie Company Vipers - 2nd - 82nd Assault Helicopter Battalion
National Anthem: U.S. Navy MUC William Edwards
