ABINGDON, VA-As the area prepares for the onslaught of race fans and RV's, the folks at Food City are gearing up for their annual Food City Race Night.  On Friday, March 19, the event will return to Bristol Motor Speedway. 

"We're excited to once again be hosting Food City Race Night at Bristol Motor Speedway," said Steven C. Smith, Food City President and CEO.  "The event made its debut at BMS last year, with a record attendance and huge fan response.  This year, we have a full slate of driver interactive sessions and attractions which should make for another amazing evening."

Food City has hosted Race Night, which has contributed over $500,000 in proceeds to area non-profits for over twenty years. The event paves the way for a weekend of action-packed Nationwide and Sprint Cup racing at one of NASCAR's most popular venues. This year fans can expect a great line-up of driver interactive sessions, along with show cars, simulators, souvenir trailers, entertainment and a smorgasbord of free food samples. Festivities will get underway at 4 p.m. and continue until 9 p.m. Admission is free of charge.

Food City has already received confirmations from several drivers and attractions. Among those already confirmed are: Sprint Cup driver Kevin Harvick (150 autograph stickers will be given out at Harvick's line beginning at 5 p.m).  Nationwide Series drivers Eric McClure, Colin Braun, Steve Wallace, Trevor Bayne, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., Reed Sorenson, Scott Riggs, Michael Annett and Jason Leffler will be on hand. Special appearances will be made by Miss Food City, Melissa O'Neal, Artist Sam Bass, Kerry Earnhardt (representing the Dale Earnhardt Foundation/Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation), Lonesome Pine drivers Derrick Woodward, Jeff Woodward, Bobby Helton, Wayne Hale, Chris Tunnell, Freddie Taylor, Jr., Caleb Roark, Phil Johnson and Kevin Wolfe; UARA driver Dylan Presnell; ARCA Driver Adam Edwards; Late Model driver Blake Jones; Legend drivers Jacob Owens, Chad Finchum, Cody Johnson, Zack Walton, Drew Shortridge, Rick Coffman, Taylor Coffman, Jim Brown and Row-Ann Brown; Vintage driver Brian Voiles; NASCAR Legends Harry Gant, Dave Marcis, Jimmy Hensley, Tommy Houston, Jack Ingram, L.D. Ottinger, Phil Parsons, Rick Wilson, Charlie Glotzbach and David Pearson will sign autographs in the Scott's Tent (100 tickets per Legend driver will be given out at 5 p.m.). The Food City Big Cart will also be on hand.

A special question/answer session is scheduled for Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Jamie McMurray and David Ragan at 6 p.m., followed by a Wii Boxing Tournament featuring Clint Bowyer, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch, A.J. Allmendinger, Elliott Sadler and Scott Speed at 6:35 p.m. and Family Feud showdown with Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton, Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman at 7:20 p.m. Food City will also honor David Pearson during on-stage ceremonies at 5:30 p.m. Rusty Wallace will serve as Master of Ceremonies.

Live in concert, STEELHEART will take the Dr. Pepper stage from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m.  Other entertainment will begin at 4 p.m., featuring Cody Shuler & Pine Mountain Railroad from 4:45-5:15 p.m., among a number of other local artists. Free food sampling will also begin at 4 p.m. and continue while supplies last. This year's media sponsors are Bristol Herald Courier and WJHL TV Channel 11.

For a complete listing of Food City Race Night attractions, visit www.foodcity.com, where updates will be posted as they become available.  Please note that scheduling and driver appearances are subject to change and autographs are limited to time availability. A second Food City Race Night is also planned for Thursday, March 18 at the Knoxville Expo Center in Knoxville from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m.

Food City is Bristol Motor Speedway's longest running sponsor and the second longest in NASCAR motorsports. Headquartered in Abingdon, Virginia, K-VA-T Food Stores (Food City's parent company) operates 105 retail food outlets throughout the tri-state regions of Southeast Kentucky, Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee, including two locations in Newport.