The fall NASCAR races at Talladega Superspeedway may be nearly two months away, but officials at the 2.66-mile track have plenty in the works for the Hallow-Dega weekend.

And fans have the chance to party at the speedway a little early even though the race happens later this year. Speedway officials are hosting a Fan Appreciation Day on Sept. 20 and the events are free and open to the public. The event will feature a two-hour concert by country music singer Darryl Worley.

“The addition of Darryl Worley to our Fan Appreciation Day really takes this event to another level,” Talladega Superspeedway President Rick Humphrey stated in a press release. “It’s just our way of saying thank-you to our fans and community for all their support throughout the years.”

Humphrey will host a question and answer session with former NASCAR driver Richard Brickhouse during Fan Appreciation Day. Brickhouse won the first Talladega 500, the event now known as the AMP Energy 500. Ticket holders from either of the 2009 NASCAR races at Talladega will be given the opportunity to drive their cars around the 2.66-mile speedway on that day. Anyone attending the event on Sept. 20 will receive $2 off tickets to the International Motorsports Hall of Fame and Museum.

SUPPORTING A CAUSE

Fans who want to visit the speedway and help out a good cause have a chance to do just that on Friday. Talladega Superspeedway is hosting the fourth annual Laps for Life event at the International Motorsports Hall of Fame and Museum. Anyone stopping by to donate blood to the American Red Cross will receive free admission to the Hall of Fame and Museum, a bus tour of Talladega Superspeedway as well as a goody bag and be qualified to win door prizes.

Those interested in participating in the blood drive can register for a time online at www.givelife.org.

MORE FREE EVENTS

Talladega Superspeedway has a full slate of free concerts scheduled for the Hallow-Dega weekend. The speedway has partnered with BamaJam Productions, a division of Ronnie Gilley Entertainment, to entertain fans with concerts on Saturday night and Sunday morning of race weekend (Oct. 30-Nov. 1).

“Our fans told us that they expected to see concerts galore for the Hallow-Dega Presented by Captain Morgan weekend,” Humphrey said. “When they see this lineup, I think everyone will agree that things are shaping up for The World’s Largest Halloween Party. You don’t want to miss this weekend.”

Saturday night’s concerts will feature Houston County, Blackberry Smoke, LoCash Cowboys and Colt Ford. All four concerts will take place in the display area. Houston County and Blackberry Smoke will perform again Sunday morning in the display area. LoCash Cowboys will play in the hospitality village from 10 a.m. until 10:45 a.m. while Colt Ford will perform behind the Allison Grandstands at the same time.

Randy Owen, former lead singer for the country music group Alabama, will sing the group’s song “My Home’s in Alabama” during pre-race ceremonies for the AMP Energy 500 on Nov. 1.

“We are looking forward to welcoming Randy to Talladega Superspeedway,” Humphrey said. “This is a great addition to our pre-race activities and I’m sure our fans will be excited to see a performance by one of the legends of country music.”

Motor Racing Outreach is also presenting concerts in the overnight parks at TSS on race weekend. The band Who So Ever will perform in West B. The River will play in Family while Renaissance will perform in West C. Trackside the Band will play in North Park. All the MRO concerts will take place Friday and Saturday nights from 8-11 p.m.

“MRO always does a great job securing bands to play in our overnight parks,” Humphrey said. “The concerts are always a big hit with our fans.”

When not listening to live music fans attending the Hallow-Dega weekend at Talladega Superspeedway can participate in events such as: the SPEED Scream Contest on the Speed Stage, the Sprint Costume Contest in the Sprint display, a haunted maze located in the display area, a fortune teller, a wax hands interactive display, a pumpkin seed spitting contest in the display area and a hall of mirrors. More events will be announced at a later date. All events will be listed on Talladega Superspeedway’s web site, www.talladegasuperspeedway.com.