NASCAR Cup Series: Marshawn Lynch to drive pace car at Las Vegas
By Asher Fair
Former NFL running back Marshawn Lynch is set to drive the pace car ahead of the 2019 NASCAR Cup Series playoff opener at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Former Buffalo Bills, Seattle Seahawks and Oakland Raiders NFL running back Marshawn Lynch is set to get the four-round, 10-race 2019 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs underway this Sunday, September 15 by leading the field to the green flag in the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
The 33-year-old Oakland, California native, who says he follows NASCAR, is set to drive the pace car, a 2020 Toyota Supra, ahead of this 267-lap race around the four-turn, 1.5-mile (2.414-kilometer) Las Vegas Motor Speedway oval in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Here is what Lynch had to say about this opportunity, according to Yahoo.
"“I hella appreciate the opportunity NASCAR is giving me to get active in this year’s pace car. This is something I’ve always wanted to do. I’m looking forward to the experience and meeting the drivers and fans.”"
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Lynch, infamous for not being handed the ball by Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson on the one-yard line in Super Bowl XLIX against the New England Patriots, retired twice from the NFL, once after the 2015 season and another time after the 2018 season after returning ahead of the 2017 season to play for the Raiders.
The five-time Pro Bowler was drafted in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft by the Bills and spent the first three seasons of his career playing for the team before he was traded to the Seahawks after four games in the 2010 season. He finished the 2010 season with the Seahawks and spent the next five seasons playing for the team, winning Super Bowl XLVIII against the Denver Broncos along the way before retiring for the first time.
In total, Lynch played in 148 games over the course of 11 seasons and carried the ball 2,441 times for 10,379 yards, the 29th highest rushing total in NFL history, and 84 touchdowns. He also caught 287 passes for 2,214 yards and nine touchdowns.
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NBC Sports Network’s live broadcast of the South Point 400 is slated to begin at 7:00 p.m. ET this Sunday, September 15. Be sure not to miss the 2019 NASCAR Cup Series playoff opener from Las Vegas Motor Speedway.