Each year, the Memorial Day holiday signifies the beginning of the summer season and for many it marks the first time to fire up the grills. Backyard barbeques are a Memorial Day tradition and Coca-Cola and Lowe’s Motor Speedway have taken that and coupled it with the amazing history of the Coca-Cola 600.

In a continued effort to bring race fans closer to the action and to let them know the NASCAR community appreciates them, Coca-Cola and Lowe’s Motor Speedway will fire up the nation’s longest grill in honor of NASCAR’s longest race. The ‘Coca-Cola Quarter-Mile Cookout’ will be held on the frontstretch of Lowe’s Motor Speedway on Friday, May 22 and will be open to any fan that has purchased a ticket to the 50th running of the Coca-Cola 600.

The enormous grill will measure 1,320-feet long – that’s more than four football fields, shaped in an oval and will use over 7,000 pounds of charcoal. Ticket holders will be invited down onto the track for hamburgers, hot dogs and Coke products from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on Friday. Parking is free and there will be shuttles running from the parking lots and campgrounds to the festivities.

Manning the grill will be Food Network star Tyler Florence, along with NASCAR’s Coca-Cola family of drivers such as Clint Bowyer, Bobby Labonte and Kyle Petty. NASCAR legend Bobby Allison will also be on hand, as will his 1969 Mercury Cyclone in which he won the 1971 Coca-Cola 600.

Fans will be able to take part in a Q&A session with chef Florence and the NASCAR drivers that are on hand. There will be prizes, give-a-ways and unique photo opportunities throughout the day.

“Nothing goes better on a hot summer day than a great meal and the delicious taste of an ice-cold Coca-Cola,” Bill Kelly, Senior Vice President, Coke Trademark Brands explained. “We think the ‘Coca-cola Quarter-Mile Cookout’ is the perfect way to mark the official kickoff of summer.”

“Throughout our celebration of our 50th year, we’ve created new ways to add value for our ticketholders,” Marcus Smith, president and general manager of Lowe’s Motor Speedway pointed out. “This will be a terrific family event for our Coca-Cola 600 customers and a chance for both the speedway and Coca-Cola to thank them for their loyal support.

Coca-Cola Racing Family driver Jeff Burton was on hand at Lowe’s Motor Speedway on Wednesday to help announce the event, as well as serve up a preview of the festivities to come.

“I can’t imagine a bigger deal than this,” Burton said of the event announced on Wednesday. “I know there is a lot of people here on Friday that are hardcore race fans that are here to tour the shops, I think this reaches out to those hardcore fans.

“It’s going to be the hardcore fans that are going to be here because they’re going to be here on Friday,” Burton added.

If you want to be a part of this unique and interactive barbeque, be sure to pick up a ticket for the Coca-Cola 600 by calling 1-800-455-FANS, stopping in at the Lowe’s Motor Speedway ticket office or by visiting www.lowesmotorspeedway.com.

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