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Will Ferrell to Serve as Grand Marshal at Talladega
TALLADEGA, Ala. – Talladega Superspeedway officials announced today that actor Will Ferrell, star of the upcoming Columbia Pictures comedy Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby will serve as the Grand Marshal of the Aaron’s 499 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race set for Sunday, April 30 (1:30 pm ET on Fox).
“With all of the excitement surrounding the upcoming release of the movie this summer, it made perfect sense to ask Will Ferrell back to participate in our Aaron’s Dream Weekend,” said Talladega Superspeedway Vice President and General Manager Rick Humphrey. “We were very happy when he agreed to return for the Aaron’s 499, and look forward to his participation in our pre-race festivities.”
Both Ferrell and the movie have been embraced by NASCAR since crews began shooting scenes at Talladega last year during the UAW-Ford 500 event weekend and in the weeks following. Fans attending the Oct. 1 ARCA RE/MAX Series race watched and participated as select scenes were filmed on the frontstretch of the 2.66-mile track prior to the start of the event.
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby is set for release by Columbia Pictures on Aug. 4. Co-written by Ferrell and director Adam McKay, the film tells the story of NASCAR racing sensation Ricky Bobby (Will Ferrell), whose “win at all costs” approach has made him a national hero. He and his loyal racing partner and childhood friend, Cal Naughton, Jr. (John C. Reilly), are a fearless duo that thrill their fans by finishing most races in the top spots - with Ricky Bobby always leading the pack. When a flamboyant French Formula One driver, Jean Girard (Sacha Baron Cohen), challenges him for the supremacy of NASCAR, Ricky Bobby must face his own demons and fight Girard for the right to be known as racing’s top driver. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby was produced by Judd Apatow and Jimmy Miller. The executive producers are Ferrell, McKay, David Householter, Richard Glover and Sarah Nettinga.
Racingone.com
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