A former “Beauty and the Geek” reality star and a pair of NASCAR legends will be making a joint appearance in the Carolinas this Saturday as part of the UARA-STARS Banjo Matthews Memorial 150 at the Hickory Motor Speedway. “Cowboy” Joe Cortez from the Season 5 of the show will be on-hand signing autographs and enjoying the racing action and will be joined by former Daytona 500 Champion Marvin Panch and accomplished NASCAR Sprint Cup Series legend Donnie Allison.
“Growing up just over a mile away from a short track, I have always loved local racing and touring series,” Cortez said. “It’s a great honor to be invited to participate with the UARA-STARS this summer and be alongside two of my childhood heroes – legends in a sport I love. I look forward to meeting not only the drivers but also all the fans, too!”
Although Cortez currently lives in Columbus, Ohio, the expert travel writer still actively follows racing in this region. He’s also part of the NASCAR iRacing.com Series World Championship broadcasting team and takes a keen interest in what happens on tracks around the country on a weekly basis.
“The UARA has been a proving ground for quality racing talent coming through the ranks for years now. For a few seaons, I’ve followed drivers like Ben Rhodes and Darrell Wallace, Jr. as they’ve worked through the ranks. It’s going to be a real treat for me to be a part of the next generation of drivers this weekend. It will also be my first trip to the legendary Hickory Motor Speedway, a place I’ve wanted to go ever since I became a race fan,” he continued.
The UARA-STARS has been the development series of choice for many of today’s top drivers and Saturday will be the tour’s second stop in the Hickory region during 2013. Recent graduates of the series include NASCAR Nationwide Series drivers Austin Dillon and Corey LaJoie along with NASCAR Camping World Truck Series standouts Darrell Wallace, Jr., and Ty Dillon. Entering Hickory, the championship battle is a five-way dogfight between young, up-and-coming drivers and a pair of seasoned tour veterans.
Coming off of an action-packed race at Anderson (SC) Motor Speedway on Friday night, Ronnie Bassett, Jr., holds the point lead with three wins, followed closely by Travis Swaim, Dillon Bassett and Garrett Campbell. Bassett, Jr., also won the tour’s previous appearance at Hickory in March.
Spectator gates open at 4:30 on Saturday for the UARA-STARS Banjo Matthews Memorial 150. Four events will make up the program including the UARA-STARS Late Model Stock Tour in addition to the Carolina Vintage cars, the Southeast Super Trucks and the Allison Legacy Series.
