2008 Race Officials/Dignitaries Chart
See seat capacities on my Track Seat Capacities/Attendence pageand for 2009, see the 2009 Race Officials/Dignitaries/Attendence page
| Race# | Date | Track | Race | Grand Marshal | Command to start engines | Starter (waves green flag) |
Invocation | National Anthem | Military Flyover | Announced Attendence [grandstand capacity] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2/17 | Daytona, FL | Daytona 500 | 24 Daytona 500 winners | 24 Daytona 500 winners | Richard Petty | Bobby Welch former president of the Southern Bapitst Convention |
Trisha Yearwood | Air Force Thunderbirds | 190,000 [165,000] |
| 2 | 2/24 | Fontana, CA | Auto Club 500 | actor Brad Garrett | actor Brad Garrett | NFL linebacker Shawne Merriman |
MRO's Jeff Hamilton | Kina Grannis the winner of the Doritos “Crash the Super Bowl” |
T-38's 87th FTS Laughlin FBB |
25,000 (rain delay) [92,000] |
| 3 | 3/2 | Las Vegas, NV | UAW-Dodge 400 | UAW's John Byers | UAW's John Byers | ? | LVMS Chaplin Kenny Farmer | Carol Linnea Johnson star of the Broadway hit "Mama Mia!" |
Air Force Thunderbirds Nellis AFB |
153,000 [148,000] |
| 4 | 3/9 | Hampton, GA | Kobalt Tools 500 | Lowe's Robert Niblock | Lowe's Robert Niblock | Lowe's Contest Winner Robin Joy |
John Newberry Community Bible Fellowship Church |
Jason Michael Carroll | A-10 Warthogs 47th Fighter Squadron Barksdale AFB |
100,000 [118,000] |
| 5 | 3/16 | Bristol, TN | Food City 500 | John Compton (CEO of PepsiCo) | John Compton (CEO of PepsiCo) | Ned Jarrett | Mike Rife, Vansant Church of Christ, Vansant, VA | Country music artist Danielle Peck | F-18s, USMC, VMFA-224 from Beaufort, SC | 160,000 [160,000] |
| 6 | 3/30 | Martinsville, VA | Goody's Cool Orange 500 | VT Tech Band [VT head coach, Frank Beamer had to cancel] |
Goody's Dan Seager | Fox's Jeff Hammond | Racing Ministires Eldred Davis | Virginia Tech's Highty-Tighties | Two A10's | 63,000 [65,000] |
| 7 | 4/6 Sun |
Fort Worth, TX | Samsung 500 | Samsung Sweepstakes winner Kerrie Rogers | Kerrie Rogers | Bill Ogle, Chief Marketing Officer for Samsung Mobile | Texas Alliance Racway Ministries Dr. Roger Marsh |
36th Infantry Division Band Texas Army National Guard |
Four F-15's 122nd Fighter Squadron 159th Fighter Wing NAS JRB, New Orleans |
190,000 [159,585] |
| 8 | 4/12 Sat night |
Phoenix, AZ | Subway Fresh Fit 500 | Subway spokesman Jared Fogel | Jared Fogel | Fox's Larry McReynolds | PIR Chaplin Ken Bowers | Emerson Drive | F16's from Luke AFB | 100,000 [76,812] |
| 9 | 4/27 Sun |
Talladega, AL | Aaron’s 499 | Aaron's Ken Butler | Aaron's Ken Butler & the fans | ? | Dr. Richard Alford, Alabama Raceway Ministries | 2005 American Idol winner Taylor Hicks | 4 F-18's VMFA, 142 Flyer Gators, NAS Alanta, GA | 156,000 [143,231] |
| 10 | 5/3 Sat |
Richmond | Crown Royal Presents The Dan Lowry 400 | Crown Royal contest winner Dan Lowry | Dan Lowry | Pamela Evans - Chairman of VA ABC Board | Reverend Joe Ellison, Essex Village Community Church | "The Commandant's Own" Marine Drum and Bugle Corps | Blue Angels Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron | 112,000+ [112,029] |
| 11 | 5/10 Sat |
Darlington | Dodge Challenger 500 | NASCAR Driver Mother's | NASCAR Driver Mother's | Contest winner, a fan's Mom | Harold King, Darlington Raceway Chaplain | Julie Roberts | three A-10's, 188th Wing, Forth Smith, AR | 75,000 [68,000] |
| * | 5/17 Sat |
Lowe's Motor Speedway | Sprint Showdown* | Sgt JohnFussell & SFC Mark Bright | Sgt JohnFussell & SFC Mark Bright | John Cox | Damien Horn, God Bless America | 3 F-16's, 114th Fighter Wing, South Dakota ANG | 147,000 [171,000] |
|
| * | 5/17 Sat |
Lowe's Motor Speedway | All Star Race* | Bob McKillop, head men's basketball coach Davidson College & assistants, Matt Methany, Jim Fox, Tim Sweeney & Jeremy Henney; and 10 sprint customers | Bob McKillop, head men's basketball coach Davidson College & assistants, Matt Methany, Jim Fox, Tim Sweeney & Jeremy Henney; and 10 sprint customers | Sprint Contest winner Tom Metzger | Ned Jarrett | Rissi Palmer | none | 147,000 [171,000] |
| 12 | 5/25 Sun |
Lowe's Motor Speedway | Coca Cola 600 | about 10 Coca-Cola contest fans | about 10 Coca-Cola contest fans | Richard Thompson, speaker of the West Virginia House of Delegates | Belmont Abbey College President William Thierfelder | country music artist Darryl Worley | F-15's Langley, AFB | 160,000 [171,000] |
| 13 | 6/1 Sun |
Dover, DE | Best Buy 400 benefiting Student Clubs for Autism Speaks | Camille Galli & family Joe, Shelly & Francesca, winners of Best Buy 400 auction to benefit Autism Speaks & Brad Morrill, Best Buy Senior Manager of Motorsports | Camille Galli & family Joe, Shelly & Francesca & Brad Morrill | Kimberly Frank, GM, Dover Best Buy | Dan Schafer, Pastor of Calvary Assembly of God in Heightstown, N.J. | Emerson Drive | (3) F-16's, 149th Fighter Wing, Texas Air National Guard | 133,000 [147,000] |
| 14 | 6/8 Sun |
Long Pond, PA | Pocono 500 | Brig. General Grauzo, JCS | Brig. General Grauzo, JCS | General Bruce Carlson, USAF | Msgr. Philip DeRea | Clarke Luis - Golf Pro, Sugarloaf CC (Pa) | B-52 Bomber Wing, Barksdale AFB | 105,000 [70,000] |
| 15 | 6/15 Sun |
Brooklyn, MI | Lifelock 400 | Comedian Bill Engvall | Comedian Bill Engvall | ? | Col. Herbet B. Heayner, State Chaplin Michigan Army National Guard | U.S. Army Chorus A Capella Team | UH-60 Blackhawks & CH-46 Chinook, Michigan Army National Guard | 115,000 [137,243] |
| 16 | 6/22 Sun |
Sonoma, CA | Toyota/Save Mart 350 | Food Network's Guy Fieri | Food Network's Guy Fieri adn Dave Fuller, Northern California Toytota Dealers Association | ? | Tim Boeve | Actress/Singer Nikki Blonsky | A-10s's, 188th Fighter Wing, Arkansas National Guard | 100,000 [~35,000] |
| 17 | 6/29 Sun |
Loudon, NH | Lenox Industrial Tools 301 | LENOX Industrial Tools Heroes - Claude Walker & Michael Williamson | LENOX Industrial Tools Heroes - Claude Walker & Michael Williamson | Brad Polver - Hagemer Co. & Glenn Tatro - Lenox Industrial Tools | MRO's Billy Mauldin Jr | Dan Clark - Massachusetts State Police | NH Air National Guard, Portsmouth, NH - KC 135 | 101,000 [95,491] |
| 18 | 7/5 Sat |
Daytona, FL | Coke Zero 400 | Dale Jarrett | Dale Jarrett | Outback President Jeff Smith | Rev. John Long II | Lady Antebellum | 4 F-15C Eagles, 58th Fighter Squadron, 33rd Fighter Wing, Eglin AFB [FL] | 125,000 [165,000] |
| 19 | 7/12 Sat |
Joliet, IL | LifeLock 400 | Actor Brendan Fraser | Brendan Fraser | ? | Glenn Spoolstra, Director, Windy City Raceway Minitstries | Gavin Degraw | F-15s, 390th Fighter Squadron, Mountain Home Air Force Base | ~80,000 [77,000] |
| 20 | 7/27 Sun |
Speedway, IN | Allstate 400 | Actor John C. McGinley | Mari Hulman George | John C. McGinley | Rev. Howard Brammer, Traders Point Christian Church, Indianapolis | former NYPD Daniel Rodriguez, "America's Beloved Tenor" | 4 F-15E Fighting Eagles, 334th Fighter Squadron, Seymour Johnson AFB, Goldsboro, NC | 240,000 [257,325] |
| 21 | 8/3 Sun |
Long Pond, PA | Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 | Actor Kiefer Sutherland | Actor Kiefer Sutherland | ? | ? | Clark Louis | B-52 bomber from ? | 100,000 [70,000] |
| 22 | 8/10 Sun |
Watkins Glen, NY | Centurion Boats at The Glen | Les Clarke | Les Clarke | Centurion’s Bryan Holland | MRO's Billy Mauldin | Emma Mae Jacob | C-130 H2, 914th Airlift Wing, Niagara Falls Air Station | 87,000 [41,000] |
| 23 | 8/17 Sun |
Brooklyn, MI | 3M Performance 400 | Make-A-Wish kid Austin Irwin | Make-A-Wish kid Austin Irwin | 3M executive Pat Campbell | Pastor Doug Bradshaw | Danielle Peck | 2 CF-18's NORAD Canadian Air Force | 125,000 [137,243] |
| 24 | 8/23 | Bristol, TN | Sharpie 500 | Sharpie's Linda Hodges | Sharpie's Linda Hodges | Rusty Wallace | Dr. David Wadsworth, Central Prebyterian Church, Bristol, VA | MRO kids, drivers, crew members kids | F-16s, 121st Fighter Squadron, District of Columbia Air National Guard | 160,000 [160,000] |
| 25 | 8/31 | Fontana, CA | Pepsi 500 | Actor Drew Carey | Drew Carey | Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt | Jeff Hamilton, Motor Racing Outreach | Bo Bice | F18s VFA 14/97 Lemoore Naval Air Station, CA | 70,000 [92,000] |
| 26 | 9/6 | Richmond, VA | Chevy Rock & Roll 400 | Retired FDNY Craig Monahan | Craig Monahan | GM Dealer Owner Ted Linhart | Rev. Joe Ellison, Essex Village Community Church | Contry Singer, Jolie Holiday | 4 F-22A Raptors, 192nd Fighter Wing, VA Air National Guard, Langley, AFB | 110,000 [112,029] |
| 27 | 9/14 | Loudon, NH | Sylvania 300 | Sylvania CEO Rick Leaman | Rick Leaman | ? | Bishop Michael Cote, Norwich CT Diocese | Diamond Rio | F-15's Otis Air Force Base, Massachusetts | 101,000 [95,491] |
| 28 | 9/21 | Dover, DE | Camping World RV 400 | Marcus Lemonis, Chairman and CEO, Camping World | Marcus Lemonis | Kevin Bostrom, VP Camping World | Dan Schafer, Pastor of Calvary Assembly of God in Heightstown, N.J. | Kate and Kacey Coppola, Big Machine Records recording artists | (2) F-18 Hornets, SC USMC Air Station | 133,000 [147,000] |
| 29 | 9/28 | Kansas, KS | Camping World RV 400 | Kurt Hunt, Director of Motorsports, Camping World | Kurt Hunt | ? | Cole Cochran, Kansas City Raceway Ministries | Actor Elijah Kelley | USASOC Helicopters | 100,000 [81,687] |
| 30 | 10/5 | Talladega, AL | AMP Energy 500 | Pepsi employees who serve with the Army National Guard; Antonio Clements, John Foster, Richard Stuckey, Daniel Harris, Demetrius Blackmon, Reginald Thomas, Kenneth Goodwin and Raymond Castleberry | Pepsi employees who serve with the Army National Guard; Antonio Clements, John Foster, Richard Stuckey, Daniel Harris, Demetrius Blackmon, Reginald Thomas, Kenneth Goodwin and Raymond Castleberry | Golfer Boo Weekley | Fred Cook of Alabama Raceway Ministries | Brad Arnold, the lead singer of 3 Doors Down | 4 F-15 C Eagles, 2nd FS, American Beagle Squadron, Tyndall AFB, FL | 145,000 [143,321] |
| 31 | 10/11 | Concord, NC | Bank of America 500 | Gold Medalist Swimmer Aaron Peirsol | Aaron Peirsol | ? | Pastor Loran Livingston, Central Church of God | Jessica Simpson | none | 160,000 [171,000] |
| 32 | 10/19 | Martinsville, VA | TUMS QuikPak 500 | Staff Sgt. Robert Hankins | Staff Sgt. Robert Hankins | ? | Eldred Davis, Raceway Ministries | Martinsville High School Marching Band | none seen on TV | 64,000 [65,000] |
| 33 | 10/26 | Hampton, GA | Pep Boys Auto 500 | Pep Boy's Sr. VP Scott Webb | Pep Boy's Sr. VP Scott Webb | ? | Keith Strickland, Solid Stone Ministries, McDonough, GA | American Idol’s Michael Johns | C-130, 919 Special Operations Group, Eglin AFB, FL | 80,000 [118,000] |
| 34 | 11/2 | Fort Worth, TX | Dickies 500 | Hale Hughes | Hale Hughes | ? | Dr. Roger Marsh, Texas Alliance Raceway Ministries | Texas Christian University Marching Band | B-52, Barksdale Air Force Base | 165,000 [159,585] |
| 35 | 11/9 | Phoenix, AZ | Checker Auto Parts 500(k) | Brake Master's Huy Nguyen | Huy Nguyen | PIR Chaplain Ken Bowers | Candlebox lead singer Kevin Martin | 4 F-16's, 308th Fighter Squadron, Luke AFB Glendale, AZ | 100,000 [76,812] |
|
| 36 | 11/16 | Homestead, FL | Ford 400 | Ford's Edsel B. Ford | Ford's Edsel B. Ford | MRO's Billy Mauldin Jr | Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Ne-Yo | 80,000 [72,000] |
Not all races use official or have flyovers
Some do not announce their officials or it isn't known who certain officials were for a race.
