Richmond Raceway announces that former National Football League (NFL) and University of Virginia player Chris Long will lead the field to green in his home state of Virginia as the Honorary Pace Car Driver for the Toyota Owners 400 NASCAR Cup Series race on April 3.
As a brand ambassador of WynnBET, Long will be a part of an onsite activation featuring Richmond Raceway’s iRacing simulator. Fans will be able to challenge Long for a chance to win tickets to the South Point 400 NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway as well as secondary prizes while in Las Vegas.
“We are happy to welcome Chris Long back to his home track in the Commonwealth of Virginia as the Honorary Pace Car Driver for the Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond Raceway,” said Dennis Bickmeier, Richmond Raceway President. “Chris (Long) has achieved immense success on the gridiron, but his dedication to improve the lives of others through The Chris Long Foundation has built a legacy that will last for generations to come. We look forward to welcoming one of the Commonwealth of Virginia’s own back home to America’s Premier Short Track.”
Long, a native of Charlottesville, Va., played defensive end for the University of Virginia from 2004 to 2007 and had his number retired his senior year. He was selected second overall in the 2008 NFL Draft and played eleven seasons for the St. Louis Rams (2008-2015), New England Patriots (2016) and Philadelphia Eagles (2017-2018).
“Not only am I a Toyota owner, I’ve also had a lifelong dream of driving the pace car,” said Long. “This weekend I’ll do just that at the Toyota Owners 400 in Richmond and I’m bringing the whole Green Light crew. It’s going to be the best trip of the year!”
In 2017 and 2018 season, Long won back-to-back Super Bowls with the Patriots in Super Bowl LI and Eagles in Super Bowl LII. He is one of only six NFL players, along with Ken Norton Jr., Deion Sanders, LeSean McCoy, Brandon Browner and LaGarrette Blount, to win back-to-back Super Bowls with different teams. In 2018, Long was recognized as the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year for his charitable work, which included donating his entire 2017 salary to charity.
Following his football career, Long started the Green Light podcast out of his Charlottesville studio, which features in-depth interviews with celebrities, musicians and athletes. He also provides football analysis and sports gambling coverage, along with his co-hosts, on the podcast, www.greenlightpodcast.com.
In 2015, Long founded The Chris Long Foundation to bring together a community of elite athletes and passionate fans to relentlessly serve overlooked neighbors, both domestic and international, by creating solutions for clean water and educational access. The organization believes that access to clean water and education is a basic human right. Waterboys, an initiative of The Chris Long Foundation, unites professional athletes and fans to find ways to provide clean, accessible drinking water to communities in need. To learn more about The Chris Long Foundation, visit chrislongfoundation.org.
Long is the son of NFL Hall of Fame defensive end and long-time NFL analyst for FOX Sports, Howie Long.
Richmond Raceway PR
