Michael Rooker Named Honorary Pace Car Driver at Richmond Raceway

Richmond Raceway has announced Michael Rooker as the Honorary Pace Car Driver for the TOYOTA OWNERS 400 on Saturday, April 21. Known to motor sports fans for his role as Rowdy Burns in Days of Thunder, Rooker will lead the field to green in the Official Toyota Camry Pace Car for the spring Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race under the lights.

“I am grateful for the chance to get behind the wheel to lead NASCAR’s best to the green flag at America’s Premier Short Track,” said Rooker. “As someone who was raised in NASCAR country, I’ve always appreciated fans asking about my portrayal of Rowdy Burns in ‘Days of Thunder’. As I return to Richmond Raceway, I can unequivocally state that I agree with Robert Duvall’s character Harry Hogge in the film that said, ‘rubbin, son, is racin’.”

“Michael Rooker has had a successful acting career, but his turn as Rowdy Burns in ‘Days of Thunder’ is one of the most memorable on-screen depictions of motorsports on the big screen,” said Richmond President Dennis Bickmeier. “With the actor who played Rowdy Burns driving the Official Toyota Camry Pace Car, I can only imagine how the Action Track will come to life ‘under the lights’ for the TOYOTA OWNERS 400.”

The Toyota Spring Race Weekend returns “under the lights” for the ToyotaCare 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series Dash4Cash race and TOYOTA OWNERS 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race on April 20-21. The third annual Track Takeover driven by AAA will allow fans on the historic Richmond track prior to the TOYOTA OWNERS 400 on April 21 from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tickets for the Toyota Spring Race Weekend and Fall Playoff Race Weekend are available for purchase in-person at the Richmond Ticket Office, via phone at 866-455-7223, or online at richmondraceway.com.

About Richmond Raceway

Richmond Raceway is America’s Premier Short Track annually hosting two NASCAR race weekends, featuring the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series, on a ¾-mile D-shaped oval. Richmond Raceway is a regional leader for events including sports, live music and consumer trade shows. The Richmond Raceway Complex’s 1,000 plus acre multipurpose facility hosts more than 200 live events annually including concerts with top national recording artists at Virginia Credit Union LIVE! To learn more, visit richmondraceway.com, richmondracewaycomplex.com, or vaculive.com. Stay connected to Richmond Raceway on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat and YouTube, and by downloading the Richmond Raceway mobile app for Apple or Android.