A familiar voice will be heard at the start of Sunday’s portion of the Thanksgiving Classic at Southern National Motorsports Park.
Winston Kelley, who is currently the Executive Director of the NASCAR Hall of Fame and was a voice on the Motor Racing Network (MRN) from 1988-2000, will serve as the Grand Marshal. Kelley has been a fixture in stock car racing since even before the first time he went on air at MRN in 1988.
“We are excited to have Winston Kelley come to Southern National as our Grand Marshall for the 25th Thanksgiving Classic,” track owner Michael Diaz said. “Winston’s voice is memorable for anyone who has watched NASCAR and what he has done for the NASCAR Hall of Fame is even more memorable. With him here, with the Matt McCall grandstand dedication ceremony, Lee Pulliam running for Dale Jr, and Josh Berry coming back, this is going to be the biggest Thanksgiving Classic weekend we’ve had in a while.”
Kelley’s appearance at Southern National will also reunite him with his former colleague, MRN announcer Alex Hayden. Hayden, who got his start in announcing at Southern National and the now-defunct Wayne County Speedway dirt track, will call the action in Sunday’s 250-lap Late Model Stock Car feature alongside track announcer R.J. Garris.
The Thanksgiving Classic kicks off on Friday, November 28 and runs through Sunday, November 30. The headline event, which is the 250-lap I-95 Showdown Late Model Stock Car finale, will take place on Sunday afternoon.
For more information about the 25th Thanksgiving Classic, visit https://snmpark.com/thanksgiving-classic/