NASCAR: Russell Crowe Serves as Grand Marshal for Unhinged 300 Xfinity Series Race

NASCAR heads to Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday and Sunday for a weekend of races. The Xfinity [...]

By John Newby

NASCAR heads to Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday and Sunday for a weekend of races. The Xfinity Series takes place on Saturday with the Unhinged 300 and features a special guest as the grand marshal. Actor Russell Crowe will tell the drivers to start their engines while simultaneously promoting his new psychological thriller, Unhinged.

"Unhinged, opening in theaters nationwide on Saturday, July 10, is one of the first new films to debut since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic," the NASCAR press release states. "In addition to the partnership with NASCAR's biggest and most competitive venue, Solstice Studios will also activate at other NASCAR properties, including Motor Racing Network [MRN] and NASCAR Digital Media, as well as FOX." Fans will not attend Saturday's race at Talladega Superspeedway, which will pit four Xfinity Series drivers against each other in the Dash 4 Cash $100,000 bonus money program. The race, as well as Crowe's call, will air on FS1.

The plot synopsis states that Unhinged is a timely action-packed psychological thriller that "takes something we've all experienced — road rage — to an unpredictable and terrifying conclusion." Caren Pistorius plays Rachel, who is running late to work when she has an altercation at a traffic light with a stranger played by Crowe. The stranger, who feels powerless and individual in his own life, reacts by targeting Rachel and everyone she loves. His intention is to make his mark on the world by "teaching her a series of deadly lessons."

"Absolutely not. I'm not doing this movie, it scares [the s—] out of me, this character is intensely dark," Crowe said about Unhinged's script. "And when I heard that come out of my mouth, I was like, 'Since when did I stop doing that?' Cause that's basically what I look for. I look for challenges."

The Unhinged 300 takes place on Saturday afternoon at Talladega Superspeedway. FS1 will broadcast the race while MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR radio provide audio for those unable to watch. Crowe will set the stage with his call and then Chase Briscoe, Brandon Jones, Ross Chastain and AJ Allmendinger will compete with the entire field — and each other — for the victory and the $100,000 bonus money.

The weekend of racing continues on Sunday with the Geico 500 Cup Series race. Fans can attend this event, albeit on a very limited basis. They will watch the race from the front stretch grandstands and towers. Additionally, there will be a limited number of motorhome or 5th wheel camping spots.

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