Marty Brennaman named Quaker State 400 honorary pace car driver at Kentucky Speedway

The Monster Energy Cup drivers competing at the Quaker State 400, July 14, at Kentucky Speedway will be led to the green flag by Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame announcer Marty Brennaman.

Brennaman, who has broadcasted Reds baseball for 45 years, will drive the Toyota Camry pace car, which leads the field to the start of the race.

"I said yes, with a little bit of trepidation," Brennaman said at Kentucky Speedway's media luncheon Thursday at the Montgomery Inn Boathouse. "Unlike me, I'm convinced my wife, Amanda, was either a NASCAR driver or she drove an 18-wheeler over the road in a previous life. She drives us everywhere we go – I don't drive unless I'm by myself."

This will be Brennaman's first involvement in track activities as the Reds will be on a road trip in St. Louis that weekend.

"We were finally able to make it work out with his schedule," said Mark Semindinger, general manager of Kentucky Speedway.

Brennaman joined NASCAR driver Brendan Gaughan at the event, which also featured sponsorship announcements and several video montages dedicated to Gaughan and the track's pedigree for its winners become series champions.

Last year, Martin Truex Jr. won the Quaker State 400 and went on to win his first ever Cup Series title.

Past champions that won at Kentucky Speedway include Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski, among others.

New way to get free tickets

It's usually not good when you get pulled over, but at least there will be a perk for motorists in Kentucky this year.

The Kentucky Office of Highway Safety will again sponsor the Camping World Truck Series Buckle Up In Your Truck 225 on July 12, and, this year, will be offering a promotion where drivers pulled over while wearing their seatbelts will receive a voucher for two tickets to the truck race.

"The Speedway provides us ticket vouchers for the race," said Troy Dye, law enforcement liaison for the KOHS, "We'll provide those vouchers to local law and enforcement. If they stop a vehicle for a moving violation of some sort and the driver and passenger are wearing a seatbelt, then the officer can give that voucher to the operator or passenger. ... It shows the community the officers have a sense of humor and the track has a sense of humor – we're willing to take extraordinary means to get that message out."

Pickup trucks are twice as likely to flip over during a crash, Dye said, and seatbelt use among truck drivers is about 10 percent less than that of car drivers.

“We have worked together with KYTC for many years to create unique platforms which encourage highway safety. This is especially important around the busy summer travel season,” Kentucky Speedway General Manager Mark Simendinger said. “We are proud that KYTC reports a nine percent decrease in highway fatalities for 2017. The sponsorship resulting in saved lives is the most rewarding thing we do.”

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“I am thrilled and excited to have the opportunity to drive the pace car. I can’t express my appreciation to Mark Simendinger and the entire Kentucky Speedway staff,” said Brennaman. “I’ll be honest, I accepted with a little bit of trepidation. I’ve never been around the track or driven on it before. I’m sure I will have a whole bunch of butterflies but I’ll be fine and fully prepared by the time the pace car hits the track.” Brennaman has been broadcasting Cincinnati Reds baseball games for 45 years. He joined the Reds radio team in 1974 and for 31 seasons (1974-2004) shared the 700 WLW Radio booth with Reds Hall of Fame pitcher Joe Nuxhall. Brennaman has been named Ohio Sportscaster of the Year 16 times, most recently in 2009. He received the Ford C. Frick Award on July 23, 2000, in ceremonies at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. The award is presented each year by the Hall of Fame to a broadcaster "for major contributions to the game of baseball." Brennaman, Red Barber (WSAI, 1934-38) and Russ Hodges (WFBE, 1932) are the only Reds announcers ever to receive the Hall of Fame's prestigious broadcasting award.

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