Kenny Wallace has just made a major announcement for the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season. He revealed that he will co-host a pre-race show on June 5 at World Wide Technology Raceway with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio’s John Roberts and will set the stage for the first-ever Cup Series race at the track just east of St. Louis.
Wallace made the announcement with a series of tweets on Monday, October 25. He first revealed the name — “Pre-Race Live with Kenny Wallace.” The former driver-turned-FOX Sports analyst then hinted at driver interviews, free merchandise for attendees, special guests, and other surprises.
I will be calling my friends. @NASCAR CUP drivers to help out with our. “Pre Race live” show at @WWTRaceway .. We will have quality conversations. AND YES! Take a question or two from you The Fans at track.
“We heard you loud and clear,” Wallace said in a Twitter video on October 25. “All of you NASCAR fans say you go to the race tracks, and there is no race day TV show. There is nothing to do. There is no energy anymore, so we are going to fix that. Everybody at the World Wide Technology Raceway here in St. Louis for the new Cup race, we are going to have ‘Pre-Race Live With Kenny Wallace.’ But that’s not all! And our host, John Roberts.”
Wallace continued and explained that there will be a big stage, loud music, free stuff, and cold Bud Light. He promised quality content with NASCAR drivers, as well as more announcements in the future.
Wallace Spent Multiple Days Interacting With Fans About At-Track Shows
This announcement from Wallace did not appear out of thin air. The former driver spent a considerable amount of time on social media discussing the current state of racing with fans. He pointed out a “lack of energy” at the track prior to the race and how the attendees have nothing to do before watching the green flag wave.
Wallace explained during the social media session that the previous iteration of the FOX show brought fans to the tracks. He said that they watched the show on TV and saw the crowds “jam-packed” around the stage. Wallace said that the sight of the thousands of people made viewers want to go to the track and take part.
Wallace was not the only person to weigh in about the lack of live shows from the track. Marcus Smith, President and CEO of Speedway Motorsports, also took part. He tweeted that he is “not giving up” on bringing back the pre-race shows at the track.
Speedway Motorsports operates some of the biggest tracks on the NASCAR schedule. The list includes Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Kentucky Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Sonoma Raceway, and Texas Motor Speedway. If Smith can help facilitate the return of the live shows, he could potentially boost the attendance at some of the most popular tracks.
The Cup Series Race at WWTR Will Be ‘Memorable’
Wallace announcing a pre-race show for World Wide Technology Raceway only pays off previous comments made by track owner Curtis Francois. He spoke to Heavy following the release of the 2022 Cup Series season and explained that fan attendance helped WWTR secure a Cup Series date. He also teased a “memorable” weekend for those making the trip to St. Louis.
Francois explained during the interview that he and his staff are planning for a weekend filled with concerts, pyrotechnics, and other fan-specific additions. He didn’t provide any concrete details but listed other motorsports events as solid examples.
“I think that if you look at our history of showmanship, our IndyCar event is a good example,” Francois continued. “We are always looking to make a great show. And to me, a great show usually has music acts and it usually has pyrotechnics. We don’t want to give up too much of what we’re thinking, but I would think that if the past is any indication of the future, it’s just going to be a wonderful show for that Sunday afternoon.”
The inaugural Cup Series race at World Wide Technology Raceway is still months away, so there are several announcements still to take place in the future. However, Wallace’s big reveal and Francois’ hints will create some excitement among the fanbase.
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Kenny Wallace Announces Pre-Race Show for WWTR