Celebrities Add to Celebration of Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend
July 23, 2022 | News & Press Releases
NEWTON, Iowa (July 23, 2022) — Star power will add to the excitement of one of the biggest weekends of the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season as celebrities join the celebration of Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend.
With the only NTT INDYCAR SERIES doubleheader race weekend of the year and a star-studded concert lineup, it’s only fitting that the Grand Marshals for this weekend’s two NTT INDYCAR SERIES races at Iowa Speedway are two established stars with ties to Central Iowa.
Olympic gold-medalist Shawn Johnson East, a native of West Des Moines, Iowa, will serve as Grand Marshal for today’s Hy-VeeDeals.com 250 presented by DoorDash, while Sunday’s race – the Hy-Vee Salute to Farmers 300 presented by Google – will feature actor, producer and entrepreneur Mark Wahlberg as Grand Marshal.
After attending Valley High School in West Des Moines, Johnson won the 2007 gymnastics world championship and she captured the gold medal on the balance beam, along with silver medals in team, all-around and floor exercise for Team USA at the 2008 Winter Olympics. After retiring from Olympic competition, Johnson won the 2009 season of Dancing With the Stars. Johnson will wave the green flag to start today’s race from the Iowa Speedway starter’s stand.
Caitlin Clark, the reigning Women’s Big 10 Player of the Year for the University of Iowa Hawkeyes, will also be in attendance at Iowa Speedway on Saturday and she will deliver the “Drivers, Start Your Engines” command prior to the start of the Hy-VeeDeals.com 250 presented by DoorDash. Cam Anthony, the most recent champion of NBC’s The Voice, will sing the National Anthem before the start of today’s race.
Wahlberg, nominated for multiple Academy Awards, Emmy Awards and Golden Globe Awards for his performances in such blockbuster movies as Boogie Nights, The Departed, Planet of the Apes, The Fighter and Transformers, will serve as Sunday’s Grand Marshal. Wahlberg was the executive producer of the popular HBO series Entourage along with Boardwalk Empire, Ballers and How to Make it in America. He is also a co-owner of the Wahlburgers restaurant franchise that is featured in many Hy-Vee supermarket stores across Iowa and the Midwest.
Former American Idol champion Maddie Poppe will sing the National Anthem prior to the start of Sunday’s race.
Prior to Saturday’s NTT INDYCAR SERIES race, Tim McGraw will perform on the trackside stage while Florida Georgia Line will be in concert tonight following the race. On Sunday, Gwen Stefani will be live on stage before the final NTT INDYCAR SERIES race of the weekend while an evening concert with Blake Shelton will mark the perfect end to Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend, following the last race of the day.
Only a handful of tickets remain for Saturday and limited tickets are available for Sunday of Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend and can be purchased online at www.hyveeindycarweekend.com.
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Hy-Vee, Inc. is an employee-owned corporation operating more than 285 retail stores across eight Midwestern states with sales of more than $12 billion annually. The supermarket chain is synonymous with quality, variety, convenience, healthy lifestyles, culinary expertise and superior customer service. Hy-Vee ranks in the Top 5 Most Trusted Brands and has been named one of America’s Top 3 favorite grocery stores. The company’s more than 90,000 employees provide “A Helpful Smile in Every Aisle” to customers every day. For additional information, visit www.hy-vee.com.
INDYCAR is the Indianapolis-based governing body for North America's premier open-wheel auto racing series, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, and its developmental series, IndyLights Presented by Cooper Tires. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES features an international field of the world's most versatile drivers – including reigning series champion Alex Palou, six-time series champion Scott Dixon, two-time series champion Josef Newgarden and four-time and defending Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves – who compete on superspeedways, short ovals, street circuits and permanent road courses. The 2022 season consists of 17 races in the United States and Canada and is highlighted by the historic Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES, Indy Lights, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IMS Productions are owned by Penske Corporation, a global transportation, automotive and motorsports leader. For more information on INDYCAR and the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, please visit www.indycar.com. For more information on Indy Lights, please visit www.indylights.com.