Reggie Jackson to pace field at Auto Club 500

SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, Calif. — Baseball Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson, who earned the nickname Mr. October for his World Series heroics with both the A's and Yankees, will be behind the wheel of the Auto Club Speedway’s 2009 Chevy Impala pace car as he leads the field before the start of NASCAR’s 2009 West Coast Premiere — the Auto Club 500 — on Feb. 22.

"In my lifetime I've played in six World Series, hob-knobbed with movie stars and been a part of the excitement of New York and the Yankees," said Jackson. "With all that, it’s hard to get excited over many things. But being behind the wheel of the pace car for the Auto Club 500, is right up there with some of the most exciting things I've ever done."

A five-year star with the California Angles (now the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim), Jackson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1993. In 27 Fall Classic games, he amassed 10 home runs - including four in consecutive at-bats - 24 RBI and a .357 batting average. As one of the game's premier power hitters, he blasted 563 career round-trippers. A terrific player in the clutch and an intimidating cleanup hitter, Jackson compiled a lifetime slugging percentage of .490 and earned American League MVP honors in 1973. He won three consecutive World Series titles as a member of the Oakland A's in the early 1970s and also won 2 consecutive titles with the New York Yankees. He also played one year with the Baltimore Orioles.

Jackson is the only position player to win the World Series MVP Award 2 times ('73 with the A's and '77 with the NY Yankees).

Jackson is just one of several celebrities taking part in Auto Club Speedway’s Auto Club 500 Weekend. In addition to Jackson, Grammy-nominated Little Big Town will perform the National Anthem before the Auto Club 500. Gavin Rossdale, who is currently enjoying the success of his Top 40 hit single “Love Remains the Same,” will perform a pre-race concert prior to the Auto Club 500 in the Opportunity, California FanZone, while Rev Theory, currently on tour with Theory of a Deadman and Ten Second Epic, will perform Saturday Feb. 21 and Sunday, Feb. 22 also at Auto Club Speedway’s Opportunity, California FanZone.

Band from TV, noted celebrities from television’s Heroes, Desperate Housewives and House just to name a few is scheduled to rock the Opportunity, California FanZone Stage on Sunday and multi-platinum singer/songwriter and country superstar Billy Ray Cyrus will serve as Grand Marshal for the Stater Bros. 300 as well as perform the National Anthem prior to the start of the San Bernardino County 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event, both scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 21.