TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES 400 AT CHICAGOLAND SPEEDWAY
- Nickelodeon and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are taking over the Chicagoland Speedway NASCAR race weekend. Nickelodeon is the entitlement sponsor of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series™ race on Sunday, Sept. 18, dubbed the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400. The track will feature a weekend of action, activities and fun for the entire family with the iconic Heroes in a Half Shell.
- Greg Cipes, the actor who voices Michelangelo in Nickelodeon’s television hit Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, will serve as honorary starter for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race. The 36-year-old actor has been the voice of the famed Turtle on Nickelodeon since 2012. Cipes will be in the Chicagoland Speedway media center on Friday, Sept. 16 at 10 a.m. CDT to speak with the media and unveil the trophy for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400.
- Actor Brian Tee who played Shredder in the movie Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows will be a pre-race dignitary at Sunday’s Sprint Cup race. Tee is known for his role as D.K. the Drift King in the action film The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift and as Dr. Ethan Choi on the NBC medical drama Chicago Med.
- Chicago artist Hebru Brantley is bringing his unique style to speedway for the weekend. He designed the Turtle-themed trophy for the winner of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle 400. He also has created a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles mural for fans, and his graphic style will be on display throughout the speedway. Brantley breaks down the walls of cultural boundaries through his art and inspired by his 1980s Chicago upbringing. His work touches on tough subjects in a way that may be easily digestible to the viewer, by telling his stories through youthful characters and their adventures. Brantley’s work can be described as pop infused contemporary art inspired by Japanese anime and the bold aesthetics of street art pioneers Jean Michel Basquiat, KAWS and Keith Haring.
- The 1.5-mile track will serve as the site of an epic battle between #TeamTurtle and #TeamFoot over the three-day race weekend. Nickelodeon has previously announced partnerships with several drivers and race teams that will carry special Turtle-themed paint schemes in each of the three national series events.
- Danica Patrick, No. 10 April O’Neil/Nature’s Bakery Chevrolet in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
- Regan Smith, No. 7 Nikko RC/TMNT Raphael Chevrolet in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
- Michael McDowell, No. 95 Thrivent Financial/TMNT Donatello Chevrolet in the NACAR Sprint Cup Series
- David Ragan, No. 23 Jewel-Osco/TMNT Leonardo Toyota in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
- Landon Cassill, No. 38 Bebop Ford in the Sprint Cup Series
- Joey Gase, No. 32 TMNT Rocksteady Chevrolet in the Sprint Cup Series
- Daniel Suárez, No. 19 ARRIS/TMNT Michelangelo Toyota Camry in the NASCAR XFINITY Series
- Bubba Wallace, No. 6 Shredder Ford Mustang in the NASCAR XFINITY Series
- John Hunter Nemechek, No. 8 #TeamTurtle/#TeamFoot Chevrolet in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
During the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400 race weekend, attendees will be able to enjoy fun family activities in the Nickelodeon Kids Zone, located in Champion’s Park. The area will feature appearances from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles costumed characters, a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles photo station and more
- Special fan merchandise is available for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle 400 event and features fun, bright colors and the race logo. A range of T-shirts and hats will be available for fans of all ages, including youth, toddler and adult sizes, as well as lanyards, magnets, can coolers and even a bib for the youngest “Dudes” and Turtle fans. The fan apparel and novelty items showcasing “Turtle Power” are available at the Fanatics Trackside Superstore and on the NASCAR.com Superstore.
- This Sept. 15-18 marks the sixth consecutive year that Chicagoland Speedway will kick off the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. The Nickelodeon partnership will include sponsorship of the 2017 kick off race, as well.
Fans can follow the Turtles fun and join in the battle to Choose a Side at: Nickelodeon twitter/Instagram — @NicksportsTV and Facebook – NickSportsTV (www.facebook.com/nicksportstv/), using hashtag — #TMNT400, #TeamTurtle, #TeamFoot