Considered one of the
most gifted sports entertainers of all time prior to retiring in 2010, Michaels
now gets the rare opportunity as a celebrity to pace the stars of the NASCAR
Sprint Cup Series for the start of the NRA 500 in the Official Pace Car. NASCAR
has granted Texas Motor Speedway special permission to allow Michaels to drive
the car pending a mandatory on-track orientation prior to race.
Michaels is just the
third celebrity in the history of Texas Motor Speedway to earn the honor,
following movie star Vince Vaughn (2007 Dickies 500) and former Texas Rangers
pitcher C.J. Wilson (2010 AAA Texas 500). Former Dallas Stars great Mike Modano
also was bestowed the honor, but had his moment washed out for the April race
in 2010 when the Samsung Mobile 500 was postponed until Monday due to rain.
Michaels, known as
"The Heartbreak Kid," is a three-time WWE champion and three-time
Intercontinental champ who also captured a World Heavyweight Championship,
European Championship and World Tag Team Championship during an illustrious
26-year career that culminated with an induction into the WWE Hall of Fame in
2011. Though retired, he recently returned from his 17th WrestleMania
appearance that took place at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium.
Since his retirement
from the ring in 2010, Michaels has been serving as an ambassador of the WWE as
well as spending time in the stands at Lil' Texas Motor Speedway watching his
son Cameron Hickenbottom compete in the Bandolero Outlaw Division. Hickenbottom
won the Winter Series Championship at Texas Motor Speedway's Lone Star Legends
earlier this year and is competing in the Battle at the Big Top at Lil' Texas
Motor Speedway during the NRA 500 race week.
Michaels also can be
found on The Outdoor Channel as he enters his third year as co-host with Keith
Mark on the award-winning MacMillan River Adventures. Season three will begin
on July 2.
Tickets for the NRA 500, the first primetime Saturday night race
of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, are still available by calling the
ticket office at (817) 215-8500 or by visiting www.texasmotorspeedway.com.
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