The Race Weekend Will Conclude with Sunday's South Point 400 NASCAR Cup Series Race #SouthPoint400
Grand Marshal
On most fall days, UNLV coach Barry Odom is giving direction to his the UNLV football team. But on Sunday, Oct. 20, he will be commanding the greatest stock car drivers in the world to start their engines.
Odom, who has guided the Rebels to a record-breaking start to their season, has been named grand marshal for this year’s South Point 400 NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
“I have been a NASCAR fan for quite some time and have been to many races at other tracks,” Odom said. “But this will be my first time doing ‘Drivers Start Your Engines!’ and to do it here in Las Vegas where our family has made our home will be extra special.”
Honorary Starters
Sunday's South Point 400 is set for a SmackDown double feature. WWE Superstars Rey Mysterio and Braun Strowman have been named honorary starters for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series playoff race.
Mysterio, a southern California native and Las Vegas resident, is known as one of the greatest WWE Superstars of all time. He will get the honors of dropping the green flag to start the South Point 400. Strowman, known as The Monster of All Monsters, will join him in the flagstand as the cars come to life.
A ππ’πππ ππ€π¬π£ ππ€πͺππ‘π ππππ©πͺπ§π is set for the #SouthPoint400!
— Las Vegas Motor Speedway (@LVMotorSpeedway) October 15, 2024
WWE Superstars Rey Mysterio and Braun Strowman have been named honorary starters for Sunday’s race.
Read more: https://t.co/c8I0qaKAkf pic.twitter.com/l4lZadX9gX
National Anthem
Musician 2nd Class Elizabeth Wetzel will perform the national anthem to start the highly anticipated race. Wetzel's all-around experience spans musical talent, educational expertise, and military service. She earned her bachelor's degree from Arizona State University in 2018 and taught elementary school students while drilling with the Navy Reserve in Phoenix. Wetzel is also a lead vocalist with the renowned Navy Band Northwest.
Pre-Race Concert
Navy Band Northwest will get the crowd amped before driver introductions with a high-energy concert. With a legacy spanning almost a century, Navy Band Northwest provides ceremonial support, public performances, and educational outreach across the Pacific Northwest. For the first time at LVMS, they will perform hits from all genres, including rock, rap, funk, R&B, and country music.
Celebrity Pace Car Driver
Las Vegan Katie Grimes is one of the fastest swimmers in the world, but now she gets a chance to keep pace with the fastest stock cars in the world.
Grimes, a silver medalist in swimming at the Paris Olympics, is shifting gears from taking laps in an Olympic pool to taking laps on the racetrack as she takes on her newest role as celebrity pace car driver for the South Point 400 on Oct. 20.
Grimes, an18-year-old Las Vegas native, is a rising star in the swimming world. She has set multiple Nevada state records and won numerous state championships. Grimes has been recognized as one of the most exciting athletes to watch compete in her sport, and even her Olympic teammate and nine-time gold medal winner Katie Ledecky agrees that Grimes is the "future" of swimming in the United States. In 2020, she was the youngest American swimmer to qualify for the Olympic Trials in the 800m freestyle. This summer in Paris, Grimes solidified her status as a swimming superstar by winning a silver Olympic medal in the 400m individual medley.
“Swimming in my second Olympic Games was such a milestone experience for me,” Grimes said. “And while swimming is my life, getting the opportunity to represent our city, our state and our country was incredibly special. And now representing at the South Point 400 is really exciting.”
Katie Grimes takes 2ND PLACE in the women's 400m IM! π₯ #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/MKw2zMpYIG
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) July 30, 2024
