John Krasinski, who stars as a former Navy SEAL in the upcoming, real-life motion picture thriller 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, has been named the Grand Marshal for the AAA Texas 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on Sunday, Nov. 8, at Texas Motor Speedway.
Krasinski, an actor, writer and director, will give the command for the Sprint Cup Series drivers of the 43-car field to start their engines in front of a crowd that annually comprises one of the largest-attended, single-day sporting events in Texas.
"It's a huge honor to be asked to serve as this year's Grand Marshal," said Krasinski. “I am really excited to be going to NASCAR and seeing Jeff Gordon race for one of his last outings.”
Krasinski will be joined on the Grand Marshal stage by three of the heroes from the CIA annex security team that fought off Islamic militants on Sept. 11, 2012, in Benghazi, Libya. Mark “Oz” Geist, Kris “Tanto” Paronto and John “Tig” Tiegen are elite ex-military operatives that were part of the small security team that helped ward off the terrorists that attacked U.S. diplomatic facilities in Benghazi and were responsible for saving many American lives.
Tickets for the AAA Texas 500, the middle race of the three-race Eliminator Round in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, begin as low as $49 are available by visiting www.texasmotorspeedway.com or by calling the speedway ticket office at 817.215.8500.
Paramount Pictures’ 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi is directed by Michael Bay and opens in theaters on Jan. 15, 2016. Click here to view the movie trailer www.thirteenhoursmovie.com.
