NASCAR: Alexander Skarsgård Hypes up Crowd as Grand Marshal at Talladega Superspeedway

By Brian Jones

Alexander Skarsgård had a lot of fun at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama over the weekend. The Emmy Award-winning actor, who was in town to promote his new movie The Northman, was the Grand Marshal of the GEICO 500, meaning he got to scream, "DRIVERS!!! START YOUR ENGINES!!!" before the race. Fans in attendance and on social media loved Skarsgård's intro, and the actor seemed to enjoy his NASCAR experience. 

"I'm excited and honored," Skarsgård said, per the Anniston Star. "I've never been to a NASCAR race before. This is a big one, the biggest one. Thrilling. I brought my buddy, Jack McBrayer, who is actually in 'Talladega Nights' because I don't know much about NASCAR, so I thought I'd bring someone who actually played a car mechanic in the movie." 

This was Skarsgård's final obligation for him when it comes to promoting The Northman which also stars Nicole Kidman  Claes Bang, Anya Taylor-Joy, Ethan Hawke, Björk, and Willem Dafoe. "I wish we could've come here Tuesday or Wednesday and hung out, because it seems like a good party all week," he said. "We'll try to make up for it today and have as much fun as possible."

Skarsgård won an Emmy Golden Globe, Critics Choice and Screen Actors Guild Award for his role on HBO'S Emmy-winning mini-series Big Little Lies, starring opposite Kidman and Reese Witherspoon. He has also started in Godzilla vs Kong, Succession, Hold the Dark, The Legend of Tarzan, Diary of a Teenage Girl, Melancholia, True Blood and Generation Kill, among others. "Alexander continues the tradition of some of Hollywood's most notable names being a Grand Marshal here at Talladega Superspeedway, the most competitive and fan-friendly race track on the planet," Talladega Superspeedway President Brian Crichton said. "Every race fan in the grandstands and infield, as well as those at home watching or listening to the broadcast, will anticipate hearing those famous four words to get the GEICO 500 underway."

As for the GEICO 500, Ross Chastain came out on top to claim his second Cup Series victory. After the race, Chastain said, "I'm always the one going to the top too early and making the mistake and there at the end, with like eight (laps) to go I was like 'I'm not going up there again, I did that a couple times today."

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