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Nick Carter and fellow Backstreet Boys members pose with NASCAR driver John Hunter Nemechek before the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Fans attending NASCAR’s Pennzoil 400 weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will see more than just Cup Series action on the track.
Track officials announced that pop star Nick Carter, several members of the U.S. Olympic luge team and children’s entertainment personality Blippi will serve as honorary race officials during the race weekend leading into Sunday’s Pennzoil 400.
The guest lineup brings together music, Olympic competition and children’s entertainment as Las Vegas continues to build one of the most crossover-heavy race weekends on the NASCAR schedule.
Backstreet Boys Star Nick Carter Joins NASCAR Weekend
Carter rose to fame as a member of the Backstreet Boys, one of the most recognizable pop groups of the late 1990s and early 2000s. The singer is scheduled to take part in pre-race activities during the Pennzoil 400 weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
His appearance adds another entertainment crossover to the event as NASCAR continues to bring musicians, athletes and celebrities into race weekend ceremonies.
Olympic Luge Athletes Bringing Winter Games Speed to NASCAR
Members of the U.S. luge team will also take part in pre-race ceremonies.
The group is led by Ashley Farquharson, who captured a bronze medal in women’s singles at the 2026 Winter Olympics. She will be joined by fellow Olympians Zack DiGregorio, Ansel Haugsjaa, Jonny Gustafson and Marcus Mueller.
Mueller and Haugsjaa also made Olympic history in the men’s doubles event by setting a track record during the competition in Cortina.
Luge athletes are among the fastest competitors in winter sports, reaching speeds well above 80 miles per hour on ice tracks, making their appearance a natural fit for a weekend centered on high-speed racing.
Blippi Bringing Family Appeal to the Pennzoil 400
The honorary race official lineup also includes Blippi, the educational children’s character known for exploring vehicles, machines and how things work.
Blippi will participate in race day activities on March 15, helping introduce younger fans to the NASCAR experience during the Pennzoil 400 weekend.
The brand’s digital reach is massive, with a global audience of more than 100 million followers and billions of monthly views across YouTube and streaming platforms.
Las Vegas Motor Speedway General Manager Patrick Lindsey said the diverse guest list reflects the broad entertainment reach of the race weekend.
“This is one of the most dynamic and star-studded honorary race official lineups we’ve ever assembled,” Lindsey said.
The Pennzoil 400 has become one of NASCAR’s most entertainment-driven race weekends, blending sports, music and pop culture as the Cup Series returns to Las Vegas each spring.
Maggie MacKenzie Maggie MacKenzie covers NASCAR for Heavy.com. She previously worked for NASCAR.com, where she reported, wrote, and edited race-weekend coverage and traveled to key events throughout the season. She has more than ten years of experience in sports media and is based in Boston, Massachusetts. More about Maggie MacKenzie
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