Xfinity Rewards Members to join historic NASCAR family to say some of the most famous words in motorsports before the penultimate race of the season
MARTINSVILLE, Va. (October 29, 2024) – Over 40 members of the Petty family, including the “King” himself Richard Petty, are set to give the command ahead of the second-to-last race of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season at Martinsville Speedway, calling for drivers to start their engines before the Xfinity 500 on Sunday, Nov. 3.
Three Xfinity Rewards members will also help serve as Grand Marshals and Honorary Starter for the race. Xfinity Rewards is a free program available to Xfinity customers, where members enjoy access to exclusive discounts, events, and virtual and live experiences that only Comcast NBCUniversal can make possible. Xfinity customers can sign up through the Xfinity App or online at Xfinity.com/rewards.
“Martinsville Speedway and NASCAR have a long history together that’s lasted since the early days of the sport, and the Petty family is a large part of that history,” said Martinsville Speedway President Clay Campbell. “Between the remarkable wins the family has captured here and their ties to the community, having grown up just an hour away from the track, the Petty family legacy is strong at Martinsville Speedway. We’re honored to have so many of them join us for Sunday’s race.”
2024 marks 75 years of the Petty family in NASCAR, a legacy that began with Hall of Famer Lee Petty, passed down to his sons Richard and Maurice, then on to their sons Kyle, Ritchie, Timmy and Mark. The Petty family makes up four generations NASCAR Cup Series drivers, the first four generation family in sports. The Pettys have been celebrated across every track at which NASCAR has raced so far this season, honoring 75 years of history.
The Pettys have a longstanding legacy at Martinsville Speedway. In 1949, Lee Petty raced in – and won – his very first NASCAR race at the historic short track kickstarting their story. A decade later, Lee’s son Richard earned his first of many wins at Martinsville Speedway. Richard Petty currently holds the record for most wins at Martinsville Speedway at 15, with his first three wins taking place in the years before the coveted Grandfather Clock tradition began. The King has 12 Grandfather Clock trophies to represent his legendary status at the famed short track.
Earlier this year, Martinsville Speedway joined all other tracks on the NASCAR schedule in unveiling the King’s Hat exhibit, a statue shaped like Richard Petty’s famous cowboy hat, detailing the history of the Pettys at Martinsville and across NASCAR.
Fans can see the King’s Hat and much more during the upcoming NASCAR Playoffs race weekend at Martinsville Speedway, featuring the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Zip Buy Now, Pay Later 200 on Friday, Nov. 1.
On Saturday, Nov. 2, fans can witness the action of the NASCAR Xfinity Series National Debt Relief 250 as drivers take to the track for an intense battle. Then, on Sunday, Nov. 3, just after over 40 members of the Petty family give the command, drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series will compete for those final spots in the Championship 4 in the Xfinity 500, the penultimate race of the season.
For more details or to purchase tickets to the NASCAR Playoffs race weekend at Martinsville Speedway, please visit www.martinsvillespeedway.com.
About Martinsville Speedway
Founded by H. Clay Earles in 1947, Martinsville Speedway is the only NASCAR track to host NASCAR Cup Series races every year since its inception in 1949. At .526 miles in length, the track annually hosts two triple-header NASCAR national series race weekends featuring the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. Martinsville Speedway also annually hosts the ValleyStar Credit Union 300, the nation’s biggest, richest and most prestigious NASCAR Late Model Stock Car race, and the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 300, a doubleheader featuring the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup followed by the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Championship. For more information about Martinsville Speedway, visit martinsvillespeedway.com.
About NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 14 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR sanctions races in three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series™), four international series (NASCAR Brasil Series, NASCAR Canada Series, NASCAR Mexico Series, NASCAR Whelen Euro Series), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour) and a local grassroots series (NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in five cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races annually in 11 countries and more than 30 U.S. states.
For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, X and Snapchat.
Source: Martinsville Speedway | NASCAR Communications
