Racing
and Laughs come together at the Chicagoland Speedway this
July 7th thru
the 9th.
Will Ferrell
Named Grand Marshal for USG SHEETROCK 400
COLUMBIA PICTURES' TALLADEGA NIGHTS: THE BALLAD OF RICKY BOBBY COMES TO
CHICAGOLAND SPEEDWAY
THE FILM'S STAR, WILL FERRELL, NAMED GRAND MARSHAL FOR USG SHEETROCK 400
FERRELL WILL BE JOINED BY HIS CO-STARS AND HONORARY GUESTS LESLIE BIBB,
MICHAEL CLARKE DUNCAN AND JOHN C. REILLY IN PRE-RACE CEREMONIES
Columbia Pictures' "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby," is
coming to the Chicagoland Speedway on Sun., July 9, 2006 (2:35 p.m. CT
on TNT) as the film's star, Will Ferrell, will serve as Grand Marshal
for the USG SHEETROCK 400, NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race. Ferrell's
co-stars John C. Reilly, Michael Clarke Duncan and Leslie Bibb will be
Chicagoland Speedway's honorary guests.
Ferrell, who was nominated for a 2006 Golden Globe for Best Supporting
Actor in a Motion Picture for his role in "The Producers," will declare
the most famous phrase in racing, "Gentlemen, start your engines!"
He'll then ride in the Grand Marshal car in front of the Pace Car,
which leads the field of NASCAR drivers onto the track for the race.
Ferrell and his co-stars will be available for interviews in the
infield media center on Sunday before the race.
"I am looking forward to being the Grand Marshal at this year's
Chicagoland race, as it is the crown jewel of all Chicago's motorsports
events," said Ferrell.
"We're excited to have Will Ferrell as our Grand Marshal this year,"
said Matthew Alexander, vice president and general manager of
Chicagoland Speedway. "He's a talented comedian and a masterful
entertainer, so we're expecting some big laughs and a terrific response
from our fans. Having one of today's hottest actors here at Chicagoland
Speedway for the largest sporting event in Illinois elevates this event
to another level. His popularity and mass appeal brings even more
attention to the exponential growth of motorsports, both nationally and
here in Chicago."
Columbia Pictures will release "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky
Bobby" on Friday, Aug. 4. Ferrell stars as Ricky Bobby, a stock car
racing sensation whose "win at all costs" approach has made him a
national hero. Bibb plays Bobby's "hot wife" Carley; Reilly plays
Bobby's best friend Cal; and Duncan is Bobby's crew chief Lucius.
All Ricky Bobby (Will Ferrell) ever wanted to do was go fast...real
fast. Columbia Pictures' comedy "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky
Bobby" tells the story of a dreamer who can only count to #1. After
winning and losing it all, Ricky Bobby must claw his way back to the
top the only way he knows how - the hard way.
Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Sacha Baron Cohen, Gary Cole and Michael
Clarke Duncan star in Columbia Pictures' "Talladega Nights: The Ballad
of Ricky Bobby," which is directed by Adam McKay and written by Will
Ferrell & Adam McKay. Jimmy Miller and Judd Apatow are the
producers. David Householter, Richard Glover, Sarah Nettinga and Ryan
Kavanaugh are the executive producers. The supporting cast includes
Leslie Bibb, Jane Lynch, Amy Adams, Andy Richter, Molly Shannon, Greg
Germann, David Koechner, Jack McBrayer and Ian Roberts.
Ferrell began a seven-year stint as a feature cast member of "Saturday
Night Live" in 1995. His talent for impersonations and range of
characters made him one of the most popular actors on the show. Ferrell
is one of the few cast members ever to be nominated for an Emmy for
Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program in
2001. He left SNL in 2002 to pursue a career in film, which includes
such comedy hits as "Old School" (2003), "Elf" (2003), "Anchorman"
(2004), "Wedding Crashers" (2005) and "The Producers" (2005).
Reilly, who grew up on Chicago's South side, trained at the Goodman
School of Drama and eventually became a member of Chicago's renowned
Steppenwolf Theatre. His film break came with a small role in the
Vietnam War drama "Casualties of War" (1989), and he showed his
dazzling stretch of talent in such films as "Days of Thunder" (1990),
"Shadows and Fog" (1992), "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" (1993), "The
River Wild" (1994), "Boogie Nights" (1997) and "Magnolia" (1999).
Another Chicago south-sider, Duncan worked digging ditches at Peoples
Gas Company in Chicago after attending community college. When he quit
his job and headed to Hollywood, he landed small roles while working as
a bodyguard. Duncan's role in the movie "Armageddon" (1998) led to his
breakthrough performance in "The Green Mile" (1999), when his
"Armageddon" co-star
Bruce Willis called director Frank Darabont, suggesting Michael
for the part of convict John Coffey. He landed the role, receiving
critical acclaim for his performance.
Virginia native Bibb had her first film role in the comedy "Private
Parts" (1997), which was followed by her first television series (where
she replaced the departed Susan Walters as the female lead) in the
second season of "The Big Easy" (1996) on USA. Unfortunately, the show
was canceled just months later. In 1999, she appeared as the lead
character on the WB Network television series "Popular" (1999). The
show was a success among teenagers, and led Leslie to more recognizable
film roles, such as "The Skulls" (2000) and "See Spot Run" (2001). Most
recently she has appeared as intern Erin Harkins in "ER" (2003).
