Peyton Manning continues to enjoy himself in retirement. He was spotted earlier this week singing Rocky Top at a bar in Nashville, and now Bristol Motor Speedways has announced that the Vol legend and two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback will be at the Food City 500 on April 17 as an honorary race official.
BREAKING NEWS: @Nationwide to bring #PeytonManning and @DaleJr together at @BMSupdates >> https://t.co/ujnUYM4htT pic.twitter.com/YIDTPa2pij
— Nationwide Sports (@NW_Sports) April 6, 2016
Manning will join Dale Earnhardt Jr. during BMS’s “wildly popular driver introductions and experience the World’s Fastest Half Mile in the Food City 500 from Earnhardt’s pit box,” according to a press release from BMS on Wednesday morning.
“I don’t think it’s possible to pair two more beloved sports figures in the state of Tennessee than Peyton Manning and Dale Earnhardt Jr.,” said Jerry Caldwell, executive vice president and general manager of BMS. “We are honored Nationwide elected to bring Manning to east Tennessee and we know our Food City 500 guests will give him a rousing Volunteer welcome.”
Manning showing up in Bristol, of course, is not the only UT-BMS connection going on right now.
Tennessee will play Virginia Tech in the Battle at Bristol on Sept. 10 of this year in what is expected to be the high-attended football game in history. NASCAR XFINITY driver Bubba Wallace recently visited a Tennessee spring football practice to help promote the event.
