"Beast Mode" will be unleashed at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday when former NFL star running back Marshawn Lynch drives the pace car for the South Point 400.
The five-time Pro Bowl selection will lead the field to green for the 267-lap race, which kicks off the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs for the second consecutive year. With more than 10,000 career rushing yards and 84 touchdowns, Lynch is considered among the best running backs in NFL history.
A notorious sports fan, Lynch regularly watches NASCAR and is excited to get behind the wheel of a 2020 Toyota Supra on Sunday.
"I hella appreciate the opportunity NASCAR is giving me to get active in this year's pace car," said Lynch, who ranks 29th on the NFL's all-time rushing list. "This is something I've always wanted to do. I'm looking forward to the experience and meeting the drivers and fans."
The durable Lynch had six 1,000-yard seasons during his 11-year pro football career from 2007-18 and he led the league in touchdowns in 2013 and 2014 while with the Seattle Seahawks. He owns nearly 20 Seahawks franchise records, won a Super Bowl championship with the team in 2014 and also played for the Buffalo Bills (2007-10) and Oakland Raiders (2017-18).
Lynch's "Beast Mode" nickname originated from his punishing running style and was most famously on display during an epic 67-yard touchdown run against the New Orleans Saints in a 2010 NFC Wild Card game in which he broke multiple tackles on his way to the end zone. Lynch started his Beast Mode brand, which includes an apparel line, retail store and international brand partnership, and his first Beast Mode store opened in 2016.
Lynch amassed 3,230 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns in three seasons at the University of California, Berkeley from 2004-06 before declaring for the NFL draft. He was named Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year and selected as an AFCA All-American in 2006.
Lynch will be in good company on Sunday, as the track has a full schedule of pre-race festivities planned.
Legends in Concert - the longest-running show in Las Vegas featuring the world's top tribute artists - will perform the pre-race concert, honoring an incomparable cast of music legends like Adele, Elvis Presley, Stevie Wonder, Cyndi Lauper and Rod Stewart. The celebrity tribute show - which is celebrating its 36th year in 2019 - runs Monday-Saturday at Tropicana Las Vegas.
Country music recording artist Sierra Black will perform the national anthem before the South Point 400, and fans will be treated to a flyover courtesy of the United States Air Force A10 Thunderbolts II from neighboring Nellis Air Force Base. The Nellis Air Force Base Honor Guard also will present colors for all three of the speedway's NASCAR races this weekend.
If that wasn't enough, the Budweiser Clydesdales will make a special appearance during pre-race ceremonies, and award-winning telenovela actor Jaime Camil will be a special guest of the speedway on Sunday as well.
LVMS's South Point 400 weekend begins with the World of Westgate 200 Gander Outdoors Truck Series race at 6 p.m. Pacific Time on Friday, with the Rhino Pro Truck Outfitters 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series event following at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday and the South Point 400 MENCS playoff kickoff capping the weekend's racing at 4:15 p.m. on Sunday.
To order tickets or specialty passes for race weekend, call 1-800-644-4444 or log on to www.LVMS.com.
