NASHVILLE (Aug. 30, 2023) – Bristol Motor Speedway officials announced its Nashville area Neighborhood Hero today at historic Hale Stadium on the campus of Tennessee State, home of the Tigers football program.
The BMS Neighborhood Heroes selection committee named Tigers head coach Eddie George as the 2023 recipient of the prestigious award for the Nashville region. George was presented his plaque by BMS officials today because he will be busy leading his Tigers against Gardner-Webb on Saturday, Sept. 16, when the Neighborhood Heroes awards are officially presented during pre-race ceremonies at the Bass Pro Shops Night Race, a Round of 16 Playoff race in the NASCAR Cup Series.
“In 2018 we started a mission that has become very important to us at Bristol Motor Speedway, honoring deserving individuals, groups and organizations all across the state of Tennessee,” said Jerry Caldwell, president and general manager of Bristol Motor Speedway. “The special program called the Bristol Motor Speedway Neighborhood Heroes recognizes first responders, military members, educators, athletes and others who have gone above and beyond the call of duty in their professions to make significant impacts in the lives of others.”
The BMS Neighborhood Heroes selection committee picked George for all that he has done in his outstanding career as a Heisman Trophy winner at Ohio State, a Pro Bowl performer for most notably the Tennessee Titans, as well as his incredible charity foundation, the Tamara and Eddie George Legacy Fund.
“Today it’s my honor to announce that the BMS Neighborhood Heroes committee has selected Eddie George, head coach of the Tennessee State Tigers, as this year’s Nashville Neighborhood Hero, a very deserving honor,” Caldwell said. “Eddie had a prolific career as a Heisman Trophy winner during his college playing days, a leading rusher in the NFL and now he is giving back in a brand-new way by serving as the head coach for Tennessee State’s football team. Eddie also is very active in supporting his community in many ways, but most significantly through his Tamara & Eddie George Legacy Fund, which does so much good in providing much needed financial support to organizations and individuals throughout Middle Tennessee. We gave Eddie his plaque today, but he will be officially honored with this very special recognition on Sept. 16, prior to the green flag during America’s Night Race.”
George and his team will be in the national spotlight this weekend as they travel to South Bend, Indiana to take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in a game that will be televised live Saturday afternoon on NBC (Sept. 2, 2:30 p.m. CT).
“We wish Eddie and his team the best of luck as they go to represent the state of Tennessee on the big stage this weekend as they face Notre Dame in what promises to be a thrilling game,” Caldwell said. “We look forward to cheering the Tigers on in the game and then honoring Eddie inside The Last Great Colosseum on Sept. 16.”
The Bass Pro Shops Night Race weekend features three nights of electrifying NASCAR Playoff action under the lights including Saturday night’s Cup Playoff race, the Bass Pro Shops Night Race (7 p.m., USA Network, PRN Radio). The weekend also includes the return of Dale Earnhardt Jr. to Bristol’s high banks in the Food City 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series race on Friday night, Sept. 15 (7:30 p.m., USA Network and PRN Radio). The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will get the fun started on Thursday night, Sept. 14, with the running of the UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics (9 p.m., FS1 and MRN Radio). The ARCA Menards Series will open Thursday’s racing to make it a doubleheader night with the Bush’s Beans 200 (6 p.m., FS1 and MRN Radio). To purchase tickets, please visit the Bristol Motor Speedway website or call the BMS Ticket Sales Center at (866) 415-4158.
About Bristol Motor Speedway
Forged amid the scenic mountains of Northeast Tennessee near the Virginia state line, Bristol Motor Speedway is The Last Great Colosseum, a versatile multi-use venue that hosts major auto races, football games, concerts and many other captivating events. The facility features a 0.533-mile concrete oval race track with 28-degree corner banking and 650-feet straightaways that offers racing in several NASCAR touring series, highlighted by two major Cup Series weekends each year. In 2020, the track also served as host of the prestigious NASCAR All-Star Race, and in 2021 began converting to a temporary dirt track each spring to take the Cup Series back to its racing roots. While at the track, fans are offered a unique viewing experience courtesy of Colossus TV, the world’s largest outdoor center-hung four-sided video screen with a 540,000-watt audio system. The adjacent quarter-mile dragstrip, Bristol Dragway, offers more than 50 events annually, including the marquee NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals. The Thunder Valley Amphitheatre presented by Ballad Health transforms Bristol Dragway into a premier outdoor concert venue for the world’s greatest music performers. Three football games have kicked-off inside the oval, most notably the 2016 Pilot Flying J Battle at Bristol, where border rivals the University of Tennessee and Virginia Tech met before an NCAA-record crowd of 156,990. In existence since 1961, Bristol Motor Speedway was purchased in 1996 by Speedway Motorsports, Inc., a publicly traded company that is a leading marketer and promoter of motorsports entertainment in the United States. For more information, please visit www.bristolmotorspeedway.com.
Source: Bristol Motor Speedway
