Bo Jackson to be Grand Marshal at Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama
Jackson, a Birmingham, Ala. native, played college football and baseball at Auburn University where he won college football’s highest individual honor, the Heisman Trophy in 1985. Jackson ran the 40-yard dash in 4.12 seconds, which is still the fastest NFL Combine 40-yard dash on record. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers then drafted him as the first pick in the first round of the 1986 NFL draft. He went on to play running back for the Los Angeles Raiders and left field for the Kansas City Royals, Chicago White Sox, and California Angels.
Jackson was the first athlete to be named an All-Star in two major American sports and his name is widely recognized for the famous “Bo Knows" advertising campaign by Nike. More recently, Jackson was named the “Greatest Athlete of all Time" by ESPN.
“We are honored to have such a well respected athlete as our grand marshal and his presence will add to the fun-filled weekend," stated Rick Humphrey, vice president of ZOOM Motorsports, the exclusive event promoter of the Barber Motorsports Park. “It will be exciting to see one of the fastest athletes in the world ride in the ‘Fastest Seat in Sports’."
Jackson’s duties as grand marshal of the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama include announcing the widely-recognized pre-race command, “Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines!" He will also participate in the Honda-sponsored “Fastest Seat in Sports," which will entail riding with IndyCar legend Arie Luyendyk, Sr. in an IndyCar 2-seater during the warm up laps prior to the start of the race. Broadcast live on NBC Sports Network, Bo will be riding alongside some of the biggest stars of IndyCar including Dario Franchitti, Will Power, Helio Castroneves, Marco Andretti, and more.
“I am excited to be a part of this world-class event in my hometown," stated Jackson. “I’m really looking forward to taking Honda’s ‘Fastest Seat in Sports’ and compare it to my ride around the state in ‘Bo Bikes Bama.’"
In 2012, Jackson started the “Bo Bikes Bama" campaign to raise $1M for tornado relief recovery efforts from the devastating tornadoes that tore through Alabama in April of 2011. Jackson, along with sports icons Ken Griffey, Jr., Scottie Pippin, and Picabo Street biked for five days through tornado ravished communities. This year, Jackson will continue the trek with “Bo Bikes Bama 2" at the end of April in hopes of meeting a $1M goal for the families affected by the storms.
Tickets for the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama start at just $15 and kids 12 and under are admitted free with a ticketed adult. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.barbermotorsports.com.