The Voice of the Vols Bob Kesling, Big Red Machine captain Johnny Bench and Vol Network Executive Steve Early have been named dignitaries for the tradition-rich Food City 500, it was announced today by officials from Food City and Bristol Motor Speedway.
Kesling and Bench will serve as co-Grand Marshals for the NASCAR Cup Series race that will take the green flag on Sunday, April 13 at 3 p.m. ET at iconic Bristol Motor Speedway. They will give the command simultaneously for drivers to start their engines as the field of cars are lined up on pit road ready to begin the race.
It was also announced that Early, Vol Network Vice President and General Manager, was named Honorary Starter for the race. He will climb into the flag stand and wave the green flag at the start of the race.
“Food City is proud to be the official supermarket of Bristol Motor Speedway and University of Tennessee Athletics, and we’re excited to bring those two long-time partnerships together for the upcoming race weekend,” said Steven C. Smith, Food City president and chief executive officer. “We have an all-star lineup scheduled to kickoff Sunday’s Food City 500. Baseball Hall of Famer, Johnny Bench, and Bob Kesling, Voice of the Vols, will serve as our event co-Grand Marshals and Steve Early, VP/GM of the Vol Network will be our Honorary Starter.”
Bench, who has been called by ESPN the “greatest catcher in baseball history,” led the Cincinnati Reds to two World Series championship titles in 1975 and 1976 and was a 14-time All-Star and 10-time Gold Glove winner. He is a member of the Reds Hall of Fame and the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. His team was nicknamed “The Big Red Machine” for its dominance in winning six division titles, four National League pennants and two World Series crowns in the mid-1970s. Bench had 2,048 hits, 389 Home runs and 1,376 RBIs in his career.
“The excitement of Bristol is like no other,” Bench said. “I have experienced the action and found myself mesmerized by the drivers and their ability to race on a track like no other. The crowd was on the edge of their seats and the thrills were nonstop. Food City, I’m honored to be a part of it.”
For more than 25 years Kesling served as the Voice of the Vols on radio and television. His play-by-play voice was heard over the 60-plus stations in the Vol Radio Network. He also hosted “Vol Calls,” a weekly call-in radio show, and the “Big Orange Hotline,” during football season. He also served as host for both the “Josh Heupel Show” and “The Rick Barnes Show” on the Vol Television Network. He also called women’s basketball games for the Lady Vols from 1978-1999, calling six of Pat Summitt’s first six NCAA National Championships. Kesling played fullback for the Vols football team in 1972. He was a spotter for John Ward on Vol radio broadcasts starting in 1976 and worked in sports director positions for both WIVK Radio and WBIR Television during his career.
“It is a great honor to be selected as co-grand marshal for the prestigious Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway,” Kesling said. “It is truly one of the most iconic annual sporting events in our state. As a lifelong Cincinnati Reds fan, it is equally special to share this special honor with Hall of Famer Johnny Bench. Food City is a fantastic community supporter and has been an equally great partner with the University of Tennessee during my career.”
Early has served as vice president and general manager of the Vol Network, a division of Learfield, since February 2004. He and his team oversee the many aspects of corporate marketing, partnerships, and broadcasts for University of Tennessee Athletics. Early has enjoyed a nearly 30-year relationship with Food City and has been involved in all aspects of the Vols’ Official Supermarket Partnership, including the recent naming rights of the “Food Center Center.” Early was born and raised in east Tennessee and is a proud graduate of UT. He and his wife, Kenley, live in Knoxville but find their way to Bristol to enjoy the races whenever schedules don’t overlap with the Vols.
“There’s really no way to put into words how exciting it is to be the honorary starter for the Food City 500,” Early said. “I haven’t been able to put it out of my mind since the call came. To get to be part of a race of this magnitude and a venue this iconic is beyond special. This event has amazing tradition and uniqueness, so it is truly a dream come true. Sunday can’t get here fast enough!”
The highly-anticipated weekend opens with the WEATHER GUARD Truck Race, a 250-lap race in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series under the lights on Friday, April 11 (7:30 p.m., FS1 and PRN Radio), and continues Saturday afternoon on April 12 with the SciAps 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series race (5 p.m., The CW, PRN Radio). Bush’s Beans Practice and Bush’s Beans Qualifying will be held for all three series both Friday and Saturday. The weekend culminates Sunday afternoon with the running of the historic Food City 500 NASCAR Cup Series race (April 13, 3 p.m., FS1 and PRN Radio).
In addition to cheering on their favorite drivers on the track, Bristol Motor Speedway fans will definitely want to take advantage of so many activities to make a complete weekend of family fun. There will be great video entertainment provided by Colossus TV, the world's largest center-hung video screen, premium VIP experiences, tailgating, on-site camping, concerts and other entertainment at the Food City Fan Zone Stage presented by Coke Zero Sugar headlined by Trackside Live with Kenny Wallace and John Roberts, great food and beverages in the concession stands throughout the property, and so much more.
Single-day tickets for the Food City 500 weekend start as low as $69 for Sunday’s Food City 500 and $46 for Saturday’s SciAps 300 Xfinity Series race. To purchase tickets, please visit www.bristolmotorspeedway.com or call the BMS ticket sales center at (866) 415-4158.
About Food City
Having served their friends and neighbors for over 100 years, Food City is proud to be locally owned and operated. Headquartered in Abingdon, Virginia, the company currently operates 159 retail outlets throughout southeast Kentucky, southwest Virginia, east Tennessee, north Georgia, and Alabama. Food City is proud to be the official supermarket of Bristol Motor Speedway and the University of Tennessee Athletics. The company also serves as the Corporate Champion for the University of Tennessee Athletic Center with the naming rights of the Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center and is a major corporate partner for several other local athletic programs.
