Groundhog Day fame Bill Murray named Grand Marshall for NASCAR's Enjoy Illinois 300

Legendary actor and comedian Bill Murray has been named the Grand Marshall for the Enjoy Illinois 300 NASCAR Cup Series race at World Wide Technology Gateway. Scheduled for September 7, the 240-lap event will be televised on USA with live radio updates on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Murray is known for his roles in studio comedies and independent dramas. The 74-year-old native of Evanston, Illinois, has won the prestigious BAFTA Award, two Golden Globe Awards, two Primetime Emmys, and a nomination for the Academy Award.

World Wide Technology Raceway on X recently dropped the big news with the following caption:

“Bill. Freakin’. Murray. That’s right — he’s our Grand Marshal for the @enjoyillinois 300 on September 7! Be there to witness the legend say the most famous words in motorsports.”

Needless to say, it’s thrilling to pull Murray and have him call the NASCAR Cup Series drivers to start their engines. His duties will include leading all ceremonial events of the day. It’s the Grand Marshall’s duty to wave the green flag as well, but that job is often given to the honorary starter in the presence of the Marshall himself.

Besides all the racing action, Bill Murray’s band Blood Brothers will be performing at the Madison, Illinois-based racetrack. It is going to be the second race of the Round of 16 of the 2025 playoffs, so the points battle is expected to get only tighter for the NASCAR Cup Series regulars.

Joey Logano, driver of the No. 22 Ford Mustang for Team Penske, will enter the playoffs as the defending NASCAR Cup Series champion. He will be joined by his teammates Ryan Blaney and Austin Cindric. So far, all three drivers have won one race each.

Australian Supercars sensation to make NASCAR Xfinity Series debut this coming weekend at Portland

Supercars driver Will Brown has landed a deal with Kaulig Racing for a one-off NASCAR appearance in the August 30 race at Portland Raceway. Notably, Brown made his Cup Series debut last year, driving the No. 33 for Richard Childress Racing at Sonoma Raceway.

It will be in the Xfinity Series this time, and days after Kaulig Racing parted ways with Josh Williams. Elated at the opportunity, the former Bathurst 1000 winner wrote on social media:

“Very excited to be racing NASCAR again with Kaulig Racing. Looking forward to having a crack at the Xfinity Series.”

Named Pacific Office Automation 147, the 75-lap race will stream live on CW (7:30 p.m. ET onwards) with radio updates on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Shane van Gisbergen, also a former Supercars driver, is the defending winner of the race. However, this year, Gisbergen will remain busy with his duties at the Cup level.