All fans at race to serve as Martinsville grand marshal

MARTINSVILLE, Va. -- For the first time in Cup Series history, all fans attending the Tums Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway on Oct. 25 will serve as the grand marshal for the event.

Tums, Martinsville Speedway, NASCAR and the Sprint Cup Series drivers will salute the fans during pre-race activities leading up to the final honors of giving the command, "Gentlemen, start your engines," and the waving of the green flag for the start of the 500-lap event.

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All fans will receive a 12x15 commemorative green flag. Following the lead of the NASCAR flagman, fans will participate in the official start of the race by waving their green flags.

"The fans have always been a priority at Martinsville Speedway," Tony Stewart said. "Honoring every fan as the grand marshal for the Tums Fast Relief 500 is an excellent way to show appreciation for their support. This is a first for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Serving as grand marshal will be an added experience for the fans. Not to be overlooked is the competition on the track. It's short-track racing at its best. It would be great to finish the day with my third win at Martinsville."

NASCAR fans are passionate about their sport and drivers. Kurt Busch is familiar with such passion.

"I'm a huge Chicago Cub fan," Busch said. "There's a tremendous amount of tradition around a game at Wrigley Field. It's baseball at its best. There's tradition at Martinsville Speedway, NASCAR's oldest track -- the grandfather clock that goes to the race winner, the Martinsville hot dog and the fan-friendly atmosphere and hospitality. Naming fans the grand marshal for the Tums Fast Relief 500 is a great way to recognize their support. And it's not just one fan; it's every fan attending the race. The NASCAR family is looking forward to making this a special day for our fans."

For Kasey Kahne, fans put their loyalty to work. They voted him into the 2008 Sprint All-Star Race, which he won.

"NASCAR truly has the best, most loyal fans," Kahne said. "The NASCAR community continues to come up with creative ways to incorporate the fans. To have them serve as the grand marshal at Martinsville is just another way to give back to the fans and show thanks for their support. It should be a really cool tribute and I'm looking forward to it."

Tums returns as the title sponsor for the fall Sprint Cup Series event at the .526-mile track for the second consecutive year. The Tums Fast Relief 500 is the sixth of 10 races that make up the Chase that determines the 2009 Cup champion.