NASCAR
announced today that longtime official Kim Lopez will serve as chief starter
for Sunday’s 57th running of the Daytona 500. She will become the first woman
and first Hispanic to flag the Great American Race, which begins at 1 p.m. ET
Sunday, live on FOX, Motor Racing Network Radio, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Lopez,
33, is in her 11th season with NASCAR and has flagged races for the past seven
years in the NASCAR XFINITY and Camping World Truck Series. She also flagged
two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races last year, but couldn’t attend the Daytona
500 following the birth of her daughter just three weeks before the race.
“I
think this is awesome,” said Lopez, a native of Bronx, New York. “You have
little girls who can now look up and say ‘I can do this someday, I can be this
someday. If I put my mind to it and work hard, I can make it happen.’”
The
chief starter plays an essential role during the race, displaying the eight
flags that tell the drivers to start, slow down, move over or stop. It’s a role
that Lopez won’t take for granted Sunday, when the field maneuvers beneath her
at speeds of more than 200 mph.
Lopez
also will have the honor of waving the checkered flag when the winner crosses
the finish line and etches his or her name in NASCAR history.
“Kim
will serve as chief starter, because she’s among the best in the world at what
she does,” said Chad Little, NASCAR managing director, Technical Inspection and
Officiating. “She has pursued her dreams in uncharted territory and we’re
excited to see her dreams come true when she flags the Daytona 500.”
No comments:
Post a Comment