As one of 30 flagship brands in Tennessee that were selected by Governor Bill Lee's Economic Recovery Group to participate in the recently announced TN Strong Mask Movement, Bristol Motor Speedway officials announced today that its masks will be available for purchase at all Food City locations in the Tri-Cities region as well as at the NASCAR All-Star Race.
The announcement was made by Jerry Caldwell, executive vice president and general manager of Bristol Motor Speedway and Steve Smith, President and CEO of Food City, during a news conference Saturday at Food City's Volunteer Parkway location in Bristol. During the announcement, the official NASCAR All-Star Race Trophy and NASCAR All-Star Race Pace Car also were unveiled to local media members.
The NASCAR All-Star Race will be held for the first time in NASCAR history at Bristol Motor Speedway on Wednesday night, July 15, starting at 7 p.m. The race will be broadcast on FS1, MRN and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.
The CDC recently released new guidelines for public events and gatherings, strongly encouraging wearing masks to lower the risk of exposure and reduce the spread of COVID-19. During Tennessee's recent reopening of its economy, facial coverings have become an important health accessory for everyone.
"Tennesseans have stepped up to do their part and keep their neighbors safe throughout this health crisis," said Mark Ezell, Director of the Economic Recovery Group. "The more we can encourage masks and make them fun, the better we can mitigate the spread of the COVID-19. These businesses are the heart and soul of Tennessee, and we're grateful to them for helping our citizens stay healthy and have a little fun sporting their favorite brands while they're at it."
In addition to Bristol Motor Speedway, some of the other Tennessee brands who are partnering in the program include East Tennessee State University, FedEx Express, Graceland, the Memphis Grizzlies, the Nashville Predators, the Tennessee Titans, University of Tennessee and Vanderbilt University.
"We are so appreciative of Governor Lee and Tourism Commissioner Ezell for including Bristol Motor Speedway in the TN Strong Mask Movement," Caldwell said. "We are proud to partner with our longtime friends at Food City on this important community initiative and hope that all of our fans will show their passion and support for The Last Great Colosseum and the sport of NASCAR by wearing these face coverings. With the public's cooperation in wearing masks while they are out in public places it will help reduce the spread of COVID-19 and in turn fans will be able to continue to enjoy attending live sporting events. In addition, it will allow us to operate our facility in the safest manner possible as fans are permitted to return."
The Bristol Motor Speedway TN Strong Masks will be available for purchase starting in mid-July. A portion of each mask sold will benefit Speedway Children's Charities, which assists more than 100 child-based agencies in the Appalachian Highlands region. A wide variety of the TN Strong Masks are available for order by visiting Tennessee Economic Recovery Group website.
"We are proud to partner with Bristol Motor Speedway and make TN Strong Masks available to Food City customers throughout the Tri-Cities region," Smith said. “It's vital to wear masks to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 and we want to do our part to make them available. We’re pleased that the proceeds from the sale of the masks will go toward helping children in our area through the great work conducted by Speedway Children’s Charities.”
The NASCAR All-Star Race is in its 35th season and eligibility includes 2019 or 2020 Cup Series winners; previous All-Star Race winners; or former Cup Series champions. The action gets underway under the lights at BMS on Wednesday, July 15 with the NASCAR All-Star Open, a last-chance qualifier race for those drivers without a starting spot in the NASCAR All-Star Race. The two stage winners and the race winner of the NASCAR All-Star Open will advance into the NASCAR All-Star Race. The winner of the NASCAR All-Star Fan Vote, which is currently ongoing at NASCAR.com, also will earn a starting spot in the NASCAR All-Star Race. The Fan Vote closes at noon on Tuesday, July 14.
Live coverage of the NASCAR All-Star Open and NASCAR All-Star Race at Bristol Motor Speedway will be provided by FS1, MRN and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio starting at 7 p.m. (ET).
For ticket information, please visit www.bristolmotorspeedway.com/tickets/nascar-all-star-race.
