Abraham Lincoln Serves as Grand Marshal of the EnjoyIllinois.com 225 at Chicagoland Speedway
Abraham Lincoln, 16th president of the United States, distinguished member of the U.S. House of Representatives and four-time Illinois State Representative will be adding a new title to his list this September. On Friday, Sept. 13, an Abe Lincoln impersonator will serve as the Grand Marshal for the EnjoyIllinois.com 225 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Chicagoland Speedway.
‘Honest Abe’ rose to prominence in the ‘Land of Lincoln,’ where he moved to at age 21 and remained until he was elected president in 1860. The Lincoln Tomb and War Memorial State Historic Site and the Lincoln Home National Historic Site are both located in Springfield, Ill., as well as the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.
2013 has been a banner year for Lincoln, who also enjoyed the spotlight when his biopic was nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards and actor Daniel Day-Lewis took home an Oscar in the Best Actor category for his portrayal.
“There is a renewed interest in Abraham Lincoln’s life, and nowhere gets you closer than Illinois. This weekend, nowhere gets you closer than Chicagoland Speedway,” said Jen Hoelzle, Deputy Director of the Illinois Office of Tourism. “From Springfield to Alton, New Salem to Chicago, Lincoln’s legacy lives in nearly every corner of the state and we hope race fans are inspired to explore his life and times in Illinois.”
For the third consecutive year, Chicagoland Speedway will host the first race of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup this September – the first of ten ‘playoff’ style NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races in pursuit of the 2013 championship. The EnjoyIllinois.com 225 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will kick off the weekend on Friday, Sept. 13 along with NASCAR Sprint Cup Series qualifying. On Saturday, Sept. 14, the Dollar General 300 powered by Coca-Cola NASCAR Nationwide Series returns with the GEICO 400 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup concluding the weekend on Sunday, Sept. 15.
For tickets to the GEICO 400, the Dollar General 300 powered by Coca-Cola, or the EnjoyIllinois.com 225, click here to purchase or call 1-888-629-RACE (7223).
