TJ Pruitt
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As part of the celebration of the NHRA’s 50th anniversary of the Auto Club NHRA Finals, Los Angeles Kings and National Hockey League legend Luc Robitaille will serve as the grand marshal for the season-ending event at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.
Robitaille is the current president of business operations for the Los Angeles Kings. A native of Montreal, Robitaille spent 19 seasons as a player in the NHL, including 14 with the Kings, winning the Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings during the 2001-02 season. He holds the NHL record of being the highest-scoring left winger in league history and also holds the Kings scoring record at 577 goals. Robitaille was selected to eight NHL All-Star games during his illustrious career and retired in 2006.
Following his retirement, Robitaille joined the Kings front office in 2007 as a business executive. During his tenure, the Kings have won two Stanley Cups and reached unparalleled success, both in the playoffs and in the community. The franchise bestowed the highest honor on Robitaille when they retired his number on Jan. 20, 2007. Robitaille’s No. 20 is one of only five Kings jerseys that hang from the rafters of Staples Center.
The 2014 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season has been one of the most exciting seasons in drag racing history. The best in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle will once again battle for the coveted race victory and world championship titles at one of drag racing’s most revered events. Shawn Langdon (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car), Rickie Jones (Pro Stock), and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle) were last year’s winners of the season-ending race, which will once again be televised on ESPN2.
As part of the 50th anniversary celebration, NHRA will feature many of the sport’s greatest legends, and those drivers will share some of their favorite memories from 50 years of the Auto Club NHRA Finals. “The King of Speed” Kenny Bernstein, “Big Daddy” Don Garlits, “TV Tommy” Ivo, Tom “the Mongoose” McEwen, Ed “the Ace” McCulloch, Shirley “Cha Cha” Muldowney, and Don “the Snake” Prudhomme will participate in a series of NHRA Legends Chats and a special autograph session Saturday afternoon in the popular Hot Rod Junction.
In addition to the NHRA Legends Chats and autograph session featuring the legends, several NHRA-exclusive Cacklefests will showcase the vintage dragsters of the sport’s early days, a car corral in the Hot Rod Junction will feature a wide variety of vintage dragsters and classic race cars, and in the SealMaster NHRA Track Walk, fans can walk on the famed Auto Club Raceway at Pomona track prior to Sunday’s final eliminations. The SealMaster NHRA Track Walk also will include several of the sport’s legends.
Two NHRA Mello Yello Series qualifying sessions are scheduled for 11:45 a.m. and 2:45 p.m. Friday, Nov. 14. The final two qualifying sessions will take place on Saturday, Nov. 15, at 11:45 a.m. and 2:45 p.m. Final eliminations begin at 11 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 16.
To purchase tickets for the Auto Club NHRA Finals, call NHRA’s Ticket Sales Center, 800-884-NHRA (6472), or log on to NHRATix.com.
For all Kings information, log on to LAKings.com or call 888-KINGS-LA (546-4752). Follow the Los Angeles Kings on Twitter: @LAKings and @LAKingsPR.
