RGIII making pre-race rounds at Richmond (PHOTOS) - MotorSportsTalk

Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III appears to be enjoying himself at Richmond International Raceway ahead of tonight’s Toyota Owners 400 for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

RGIII will serve as the honorary pace car driver for tonight’s 400-lap event at the 3/4-mile oval. His good friend, Sprint Cup superstar Dale Earnhardt Jr., had lobbied for Griffin to be named to the post earlier this month.

In a press conference this afternoon at RIR, Griffin talked about how his friendship with Earnhardt began and noted how they both have to deal with plenty of pressure as famous athletes.

“We kind of understand where each other is coming from,” Griffin said. “I’m a younger guy. I’m 24. I have a lot to learn in this process.

“The more guys you can link up with and talk to about these kinds of experiences, the ups and downs, the highs and lows and the great success — that is a true benefit to anybody.”

In addition to speaking with the press, Griffin also took a pre-race tour of the Cup garage and met up with several major NASCAR personalities.

Great guys and great competitors @DaleJr & @JimmieJohnson #Awesome #RIRSelfie pic.twitter.com/HDkHnlcFfI

— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) April 26, 2014

Check out the man himself, Coach Joe Gibbs, meeting with @RGIII! Best of luck tonight @RIRInsider, @JoeGibbsRacing! pic.twitter.com/0KdxRlxv81

— Washington Redskins (@Redskins) April 26, 2014

http://instagram.com/p/nQ6BjmPeY4/#

.@RGIII & @MattKenseth in @Gatorade Victory Lane! #WinFromWithin #nascar #ToyotaOwners400 pic.twitter.com/ixY504okw3

— Richmond Raceway (@RIRInsider) April 26, 2014

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In a continuing effort to help fans keep track of the on track action, SuperMotocross is in the process of developing and implementing leader lights for the unified series.

Currently Supercross (SMX) utilizes stanchions in the infield that are triggered manually by a race official. At least two stanchions are used in each race as a way to draw the eye to the leader, which is especially useful in the tight confines of the stadium series when lapping often begins before the halfway mark in the 22-bike field. This system has been in place for the past two decades.

Later this year, a fully automated system will move to the bike itself to replace the old system. At that point, fans will be able to identify the leader regardless of where he is on track.

The leader lights were tested in the second Anaheim round this year. An example can be seen at the 1:45 mark in the video above on the No. 69 bike.

“What we don’t want to do is move too fast, where it’s confusing to people,” said Mike Muye, senior director of operations for Supercross and SMX in a press release. “We’ve really just focused on the leader at this point with the thought that maybe down the road we’ll introduce others.”

Scheduled to debut with the first SuperMotocross World Championship race at zMax Dragway, located just outside the Charlotte Motor Speedway, a 3D carbon fiber-printed LED light will be affixed to each motorcycle. Ten timing loops positioned around the track will trigger the lights of the leader, which will turn green.

SMX’s partner LiveTime Scoring helped develop and implement the system that has been tested in some form or fashion since 2019.

When the leader lights are successfully deployed, SuperMotocross will explore expanding the system to identify the second- and third-place riders. Depending on need and fan acceptance, more positions could be added.

SuperMotocross is exploring future enhancements, including allowing for live fan interaction with the lights and ways to use the lighting system during the race’s opening ceremony.

Read more about SuperMotocross