Famed director, screenwriter, actor and comedian Kevin Smith will serve as the grand marshal for the Würth 400 NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover Motor Speedway on Sunday, April 30, track officials announced today.
Smith has written and directed more than a dozen feature films, including “Clerks,” “Mallrats,” “Chasing Amy,” “Dogma,” “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back,” and “Red State,” mostly set in his home state of New Jersey. “Clerks” won the "Award of the Youth" and the "Mercedes-Benz Award" at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival, the "Filmmakers Trophy" at the Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for three Independent Spirit Awards.
His famous recurring character, Silent Bob, has featured in a number of his projects, along with the character of Jay, portrayed by Jason Mewes.
Next year Smith and Mewes will host Jay & Silent Bob present CRUISE ASKEW sailing Feb. 23-26, from Miami to Nassau, Bahamas, aboard the luxurious Norwegian Pearl. The immersive festival at sea will host live podcast recordings, stand-up comedy, exclusive Q&As, an unreleased “Clerks III” script reading, theme nights, live music and more Askewniverse inspired experiences. Cabins available now at www.cruiseaskew.com.
“Back in the 1970s, when it was still called Dover Downs, my Dad drove me, my brother, my sister and my Mom the short ride from Jersey to Delaware to see the Monster Mile,” Smith recalled. “But the day he picked turned out to be a day the track was actually closed, with the only car in sight being my Dad’s old Plymouth!
“So I was thrilled – and I know Dad would’ve been proud – when I got an invite to Dover Motor Speedway almost 45 years later to say the most famous words in motorsports at NASCAR’s Würth 400. And this time, I know for a fact the track’s going to be open!”
Smith is also the co-owner of Smodcastle Cinemas in nearby Atlantic Highlands, N.J. - the local movie theater where he saw all the flicks of his childhood.
The Würth 400 is the Monster Mile’s 105th NASCAR Cup Series race. Dover Motor Speedway is one of only 10 tracks in the country to host 100 or more NASCAR Cup Series events.
Among the FREE fan attractions set for this weekend is Big Bounce America, the world’s largest bounce house experience. Certified by Guinness World Records, Big Bounce America’s bounce house, 12,000-plus square feet of colors, inflatables and adventure is the world’s largest bounce house. Along with “The Giant,” a 900-foot long course containing more than 50 obstacles to pass through, the Big Bounce America experience will be FREE for race fans before the Würth 400 as well as before and after Dover’s Friday, April 28 and Saturday, April 29 races.
View the weekend fun schedule at: https://www.dovermotorspeedway.com/fans/fan-zone/.
