Published 01/13/2023, 10:00 AM EST
There is no doubting NASCAR’s popularity. The biggest and most famous people have taken to the sport for its thrill and adventure. The King of Rock and Roll – Elvis Presley was also on that long list. Moreover, he also managed to pass on his love for NASCAR to his daughter.
Lisa Marie Presley, Elvis’ daughter, was a lover of NASCAR too. The singer sprung to fame through the success of her first album, To Whom It May Concern. She might not have been a regular at races due to her hectic schedule but she did make the most of the chance she got.
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As she performed before the Pepsi 400 at Daytona in 2005, she grabbed the chance to tour the track – that too in a NASCAR car. A video released by a Twitter account shows the Presley estate heiress accompanying Wally Dallenbach Jr in his car for a quick couple of laps around the Daytona track.
As Dallenbach Jr took Presley around the track, she could be seen enjoying (but at the same time, wanting the drive to end) – the high speed, sharp turns thrill wasn’t for her!
Sadly, the singer passed away after reportedly suffering a cardiac arrest. Despite being rushed to the hospital at night, she couldn’t be saved. BBC reported her mother Priscilla’s statement: “It is with a heavy heart that I must share the devastating news that my beautiful daughter Lisa Marie has left us.”
A sad day for those who took comfort in her music. We all hope and send love and strength to her family in these tough times.
NASCAR & Elvis Presley – a very close connection
Lisa Marie wasn’t the first of the Presleys to form a close relationship with NASCAR. Her father had a connection to the sport way back in the 1960s – and that too through one of NASCAR’s greatest drivers.
DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA – JULY 1982: NASCAR driver Bobby Allison sits in his race car prior to the start of the 1982 Firecracker 400 stock car race at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Robert Alexander/Getty Images)
Bobby Allison, considered one of the greatest drivers in the sport’s history, raced for Elvis at the 1967 World 600 in Charlotte. He did it for Elvis’ first movie related to NASCAR, i.e. Speedway (released in 1968).
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Although Elvis had experience doing racing movies, his previous avatars had been sports car drivers. In both, Viva Las Vegas (1964) and Spinout (1966), Elvis was cast as a sports car driver.
But in Speedway, he played the role of Steve Grayson, a NASCAR driver, who drove a Dodge-powered and Cotton Owens-owned car. As a result, the studio, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), sent over cameras worth $500,000 to the Charlotte tracks for shooting the racing scenes.
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That was arguably one of the perfect partnerships for a NASCAR fan. Seeing their favorite driver pose as a body double for one of the greatest stars of the 20th century – priceless!