Miami Connection: Heat Captain and 3-time NBA Champion Udonis Haslem, Along With Other Noted Miamians, to be in Pre-Race Festivities Sunday During Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway
Haslem Will be Joined by Legendary Miami Heat PA Announcer Michael Baiamonte and Miami Native and Afro-Latin Singer Adassa who Will Perform the National Anthem
Photo Cutline:Miami Heat Captain and three-time NBA Champion Udonis Haslem (left) will serve as an Honorary Race Official for Sunday’s (Oct. 23) Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. He will join a host of other noted Miamians who will be a part of Sunday’s festivities, which also includes longtime Miami Heat PA announcer Michael Baiamonte (right), who introduce the starting field to the fans in attendance for the second race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.
MIAMI, Fla. (Oct. 19, 2022) – This Sunday’s Dixie Vodka 400, which marks the return of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs to Homestead-Miami Speedway, will definitely have a South Florida vibe this Sunday with a host of noted local names on hand to be a part of the festivities, headlined by Miami Heat Captain and three-time NBA Champion Udonis Haslem.
The Dixie Vodka 400 will be the second of three races in the Round of 8 for the NASCAR Cup Series Championship, which gets the green flag at 2:30 p.m. ET. Great ticket opportunities are available by calling (866) 409-RACE (7223) or visiting www.homesteadmiamispeedway.com.
Haslem, one of the most respected and beloved players and new member to the DoorDash family of athlete partners, will serve as an “Honorary Race Official” for the Dixie Vodka 400 and will be introduced to the fans in attendance during pre-race and driver introductions.
The Heat connection will also see Michael Baiamonte, the well-known public address voice of the team for the last 32 years and one of the premier voices in sports, serve as the pre-race announcer to introduce the starting field of drivers for the Dixie Vodka 400. Afro-Latin singer, songwriter and Miami native Adassa will perform the National Anthem prior to the command to start engines.
Here are quick thumbnails on each:
- Haslem, at 42 years old, is the oldest player in the NBA. As the only undrafted player to hold this long of a career, UD’s entire 20-year NBA run to date has been with the HEAT, a distinction that currently makes it the longest streak by any active player with only one team in the league. He Joins NBA Legends Kobe Bryant and Dirk Nowitzki as the only other players to spend 20 years with one franchise.
UD’s leadership, voice, work ethic, and passion – on and off the court – make him a beacon in the City of Miami where he was born and raised. UD, who embodies the culture and DNA of the Heat, takes great pride in the city where he lives, and great honor in the opportunity he has earned to represent that city. UD Kids continues to be one of the pillars of the Udonis Haslem Foundation as it now moves into the education space by leveling up our children. The UD Foundation also focuses on mental health initiatives, especially as they relate to criminal justice reform and a push for further community accessibility programs such as low-income housing, financial literacy, and minority owned small businesses.
- Baiamonte currently sits as the fourth longest tenured PA Voice in the NBA and has announced over 1,400 professional basketball games including 5 NBA Finals Series. In 2019 he was selected by the National Basketball Association to his first All-Star Weekend Public Address Announcer appearance. His voice also appears on the Take-Two Interactive game NBA 2K series. His creativity and style have local media referring to him as “One of the Most Recognizable Voices in the South Florida Sports Market.”
- Adassa will display her impressive four-octave vocal range in her rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” as part of the pre-race ceremonies on Sunday afternoon. Last year, the bilingual voice actress played the character Dolores Madrigal in Disney’s Academy Award winning film “Encanto.” She, along with her other “Encanto” castmates, took to the stage at the 94th Oscars in March earlier this year to perform the film’s hit song “We Don’t Talk About Bruno.”
Renowned Latin recording artist and radio personality Alex Sensation, whose popular syndicated radio show is heard in Miami on El Nuevo Zol 106.7 FM, will get the party started at Larry’s Hard Lemonade Beach Bash in the track infield also on Sunday.
The Colombian American, who is one of the most influential Latin DJs in the United States, will perform his set in the infield at the one-of-a-kind 20,000 square-foot beach inside of Turn 3. The relaxation destination, the only one of its kind in motorsports, sits on a 7-acre spring-fed lake that spans the width of the backstretch. In addition to the live entertainment, the event will have unique food and beverage options, water activities and more. His show is broadcasted daily across the country in not only Miami, but also New York, Los Angeles and Puerto Rico. With more than three million weekly listeners, Alex Sensation’s radio show has been a staple in the country’s top Latin music stations for 15 years.
Sunday’s Dixie Vodka 400 will be the culmination of an incredible NASCAR Playoffs weekend. Saturday (Oct. 22) will feature a doubleheader – the Baptist Health Cancer Care 200, the “last chance” race in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs’ Round of 8, which gets the green flag at 1 p.m. ET while the NASCAR Xfinity Series’ Contender Boats 300, the second race in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs’ Round of 8, takes the green flag at 4:30 p.m. Great tickets remain for all three playoffs For details, visit www.homesteadmiamispeedway.com or call (866) 409-RACE (7223).
Fans can also receive updates about upcoming events and races at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, as well as the all-new NASCAR Tracks App for the latest speedway news.
About Homestead-Miami Speedway
Homestead-Miami Speedway has been open since 1995 following an initiative to spur economic recovery in the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew. The Speedway, which was founded by Miami businessman, racing enthusiast and philanthropist Ralph Sanchez, is a 650-acre facility that features a 1.5-mile oval and 2.21-mile road course. The Speedway hosts on-track events nearly 300 days per year and generates more than $301 million annually for the region. NASCAR crowned champions in all three of its national series at Homestead-Miami Speedway for 18 straight years (2002-19). In 2022, the Dixie Vodka 400 moves to the third race in the Round of 8 on Sunday, Oct. 23, as part of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. In August of 2022, Homestead-Miami Speedway unveiled a new, colorfully designed logo that showcases the venue’s sense of place and incredible competition while incorporating all what South Florida has to offer from the vibrancy of South Beach to the tranquility of the Keys. Using a combination of pink, blue, yellow, light and dark turquoise – colors specific to the culture of South Florida – the new Homestead-Miami Speedway highlights regional and cultural flair of color, speed and intense, off-the chart racing that is unique to Miami.
About NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 16 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR consists of three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series™), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour), one local grassroots series (NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series) and three international series (NASCAR Pinty’s Series, NASCAR Peak Mexico Series, NASCAR Whelen Euro Series). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (‘NASCAR’).
