FORT WORTH, Texas (Oct. 22, 2020)
Pro Football Hall of Fame running back and Dallas Cowboys legend Emmitt Smith and NASCAR Xfinity Series driver and Carrollton, Texas, native Jesse Iwuji, unveiled the B.J. McLeod Motorsports No. 99 Notable.Live Chevrolet that Iwuji will drive in the Oct. 24 O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 at Texas Motor Speedway.
The three-time Super Bowl champion and NFL all-time leading rusher was also named the Grand Marshal for the fifth race of the 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs at No Limits, Texas.
“It’s truly an honor for me, not only to be standing next to this man (Iwuji), who served our country for seven years to provide the freedoms that we currently enjoy,” Smith said. “This is a tremendous historic moment in NASCAR. The walls should come down to open opportunities for men, women, and people of color who want to do the hard work to get to this place. You have to have the opportunity and he door has to be open. NASCAR has opened that door for this young man and Bubba Wallace, as well.
“(Michael) Jordan has invested, many others are looking to invest in things like this and so I’m proud to say that Notable.Live has partnered in with Jesse and I look forward to have more opportunities to bring NASCAR into the room and into our heads. People can learn what it takes: I did not become Emmitt Smith overnight. It was a process and a journey and it’s never easy for anyone to be successful and nobody becomes successful by themselves. If you’re given that, you actually have to work to take advantage of the opportunity. And when you take advantage of the opportunity, you have to leave the door open for someone else.”
The Notable.Live platform, co-founded by Smith, connects notable talent, influencers and content creators with their fans and communities through positive, two-way engagement, bringing fans “in the room” with their favorite notables. The Oct. 25 event, and Inside the Game xx featuring Smith and former Washington Football Team rivals Charles Mann and Dexter Manley, begins on Notable.Live at 1:25 p.m. ET.
“I’m super excited to have this opportunity to partner with Emmitt Smith on this racing journey of mine,” said Iwuji. “It’s been a huge blessing to be able to go from Navy to NASCAR while still serving in the Navy and now have the opportunity to race in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Texas Motor Speedway in front of my home state family and friends. To partner with Emmitt through Notable.Live, a company he co-founded and we’re partners in together, is a dream come true. I wore No. 22 playing football in middle school because of him. He’s done some much for the community and the state of Texas so it’s an honor to be working with him on this program.
“This is all the news I can give you today but know big things are coming with all that I’m putting together to help drive change and create opportunities within the sport.”
The O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 will be Iwuji’s third NASCAR Xfinity Series start, all of which have taken place in 2020. He also has 11 starts in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series, his best finish of 17th earned in the fall of 2019 at Texas Motor Speedway.
The O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 (3:30 p.m. CT on NBCSN, PRN, KFWR 95.5 The Ranch), the fifth of seven playoff races, will be run as a non-spectator event.
NASCAR race fans return to Texas Motor Speedway Oct. 25 with the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 weekend. The doubleheader Sunday begins at 11 a.m. CT with the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series SpeedyCash.com 400 (FS1, PRN, KFWR 95.5 The Ranch). It gives way to the NASCAR Cup Series Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 (2:30 p.m. CT on NBCSN, PRN and KFWR 95.5 The Ranch).
Tickets for the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500/SpeedCash.com 400 doubleheader are available starting at $48 at https://www.texasmotorspeedway.com/events/texas-500-nascar-race-weekend/. One ticket will be good for both races and kids 12 and under are just $10.
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