"America's Crew Chief" Larry McReynolds will give the command to start engines Saturday night July 13 for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) Quaker State 400 presented by Walmart.
McReynolds' ties with Quaker State go back over three decades. His first MENCS win came in August of 1988 when Ricky Rudd took the Quaker State Buick team to Victory Lane at Watkins Glenn.
"Kentucky Speedway is a special track and I hated that I never got to compete there as a crew chief. I did broadcast several races there for TNT," said Larry McReynolds. "Considering my first three Cup wins as a crew chief were with the Quaker State Race team in the late 80's and early 90's, I am very honored to represent Quaker State for the Quaker State 400 as the Grand Marshal."
Before trading his tools on pit road for a microphone, McReynolds established himself as one of NASCAR's elite crew chiefs working for Robert Yates and Richard Childress, among others. He won the Daytona 500 twice. He celebrated with Davey Allison in 1992 and in 1998. He was on the pit box calling the shots, as seven-time champion, Dale Earnhardt, captured his elusive Daytona 500 victory.
Since 2001, "Larry Mac" has been a mainstay on the FOX Sports NASCAR broadcast team. For the 2019 season, McReynolds took on an innovative role moving into the FOX Sports' state of the art virtual studio in Charlotte, NC. He is credited with building the set's virtual race car from the ground up.
He now serves as a race analyst for all MENCS and NASCAR Xfinity Series races from the virtual set.
McReynolds also serves as an analyst on NASCAR RACE HUB, the networks daily NASCAR news and highlights program. In addition, he co-hosts, "The Late Shift" with Brad Gillie Tuesday evenings on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
"Nobody in NASCAR has accomplished what Larry McReynolds has by being a top crew chief and founding member of the FOX Sports NASCAR coverage," said Mark Simendinger, Kentucky Speedway General Manager. "He is the most trusted name in the industry and has been a good friend of Kentucky Speedway for many years. We could not have a better person give the command for this year's Quaker State 400!"
Larry Mac has written three books with his latest released in 2016 entitled "Larry McReynolds: The Constant Pursuit of Perfection." He also played himself in the 2006 Will Ferrell comedy hit, "Talladega Nights."
Action begins in Kentucky Speedway's 20th season of racing with the July NASCAR tripleheader weekend anchored by the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Quaker State 400 presented by Walmart on Saturday, July 13. The Gander Outdoors Truck Series Buckle Up in Your Truck 225 starts the weekend on Thursday, July 11 and the Xfinity Series Alsco 300 is Friday, July 12.
Tickets, Pre-Race Passes and campsites are on sale at http://www.kentuckyspeedway.com, by calling (859) 578-2300 or visiting our speedway ticket offices at 1 Speedway Drive, Sparta, Kentucky 41086, just off Interstate Highway 71 Exit 57 and Kentucky Highway 35 N.
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