Chase Briscoe (2nd from right) during a visit to Fire Station 53 / EMS 42 on Jan. 15, 2026 in Austin Texas. Photo credit: NASCAR at COTA.
Courtesy of NASCAR at COTA
AUSTIN, Texas – Award-winning first responders representing Austin’s fire, police and EMS departments will headline the dignitaries lineup for this weekend’s DuraMAX Texas Grand Prix Powered by RelaDyne at Circuit of The Americas.
Austin-Travis County EMS Captain Amber Price, the 2025 National Community Paramedic of the Year; Phill Johnson, the 2025 Austin Firefighter of the Year, and Austin police officer Tanner Cilento, a 2025 Star of Texas Award recipient, will be honored throughout the weekend, which features the NASCAR Cup Series and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.
The trio will first serve as co-Grand Marshals for Saturday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Focused Health 250 (2 p.m. CT, TV: CW; Radio: PRN, SiriusXM), where they will deliver the command for drivers to start their engines. The group will be honored on stage Sunday as part of NASCAR at COTA’s “First Responder Appreciation Weekend” prior to the NASCAR Cup Series DuraMAX Texas Grand Prix Powered by RelaDyne (2:30 p.m., TV: FOX; Radio: PRN, SiriusXM).
Price, Johnson and Cilento will be among the nearly 4,000 area first responders and their family members joining the race weekend activities honoring public safety professionals across greater Austin and Central Texas. Race attendees also will have opportunities to engage with recruiters to learn more about careers in public service.
First responders will be represented in other pre-race roles beginning with the Austin Fire Department Honor Guard conducting the Presentation of Colors for Saturday’s race. On Sunday, Austin-Travis County EMS Clinical Specialist Tim Morrison will provide the invocation, the Austin-Travis County EMS Color Guard will present the colors, and Sebastian Olave of the City of Austin Public Safety will sing the National Anthem.
Acclaimed author and Austin-area resident Ryan Holiday will help lead the Cup Series field to the green flag as the Honorary Pace Car Driver. His books, including “The Daily Stoic,” “The Obstacle Is the Way,” “Ego Is the Enemy,” “Stillness Is the Key,” and his No. 1 New York Times series on the Stoic Virtues, appear in more than 40 languages and have sold over 10 million copies. His bookstore, The Painted Porch, sits on historic Main Street in Bastrop.
RelaDyne Chief Executive Officer Eric Royse will serve as Grand Marshal and deliver the iconic “Drivers, Start Your Engines” command. RelaDyne Board Member David Woodruff will serve as Honorary Starter and wave the green flag to launch the third race of the Cup Series season. Royse also will present the winner’s trophy in Victory Lane.
“Serving as title sponsor of the DuraMAX Texas Grand Prix and participating alongside an outstanding group of dignitaries is a tremendous moment for RelaDyne,” said Royse, who became CEO in February of 2025. “This weekend reflects the strength of collaboration between industry, community, and motorsports, and we’re excited to help create an environment where fans, partners, and leaders can come together to celebrate performance, innovation, and shared momentum. At RelaDyne, our purpose is to keep our communities moving, and events like this bring that purpose to life in a powerful and meaningful way.”
“Major events like the DuraMAX Texas Grand Prix create meaningful impact well beyond the track – driving regional visibility, strengthening partnerships, and highlighting innovation across industries,” Woodruff added. “It’s rewarding to see RelaDyne contribute to an event that brings together fans, business leaders, and the broader community in such a dynamic and positive way.”
The pre-race activities also will have a military presence, with U.S. Army Sergeant Major Shervonne James singing Saturday’s National Anthem. Sunday’s lineup will include General David M. Hodne, United States Army Transformation and Training Command, leading the Pledge of Allegiance; a U.S. Army DEP Swear-In; and a flyover by CH-47F Chinook and AH-64E Apache from the U.S. Army 166th Aviation Brigade.
FULL WEEKEND DIGNITARIES & SPECIAL PRE-RACE GUEST LIST
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Focused Health 250 – Saturday
- Pre-Race Music: DJ Cassandra
- Official Track Welcome: NASCAR at COTA General Manager Mark Faber
- VIPs: Larry Cassar, Co-Founder, Focused Health & Chief Revenue Officer at Bloom; Shawn Holt, Co-Founder & President, Focused Health
- Driver Introductions: Jose Castillo
- Invocation: Billy Mauldin, Senior Chaplain, Motor Racing Outreach
- Arrival of American Flag: RE/MAX Skydive Team
- Presentation of Colors: Austin Fire Department Honor Guard
- National Anthem: U.S. Army Sergeant Major Shervonne James
- Grand Marshals: Austin-Travis County EMS Captain Amber Price, the 2025 National Community Paramedic of the Year; Phill Johnson, the 2025 Austin Firefighter of the Year, and Austin police officer Tanner Cilento, a 2025 Star of Texas Award recipient
- Honorary Starter: Sean Estes, Friend of Focused Health
NASCAR Cup Series DuraMAX Texas Grand Prix Powered by RelaDyne – Sunday
- Pre-Race Concert: Spazmatics
- Official Track Welcome: NASCAR at COTA General Manager Mark Faber
- Honorary Race Officials: RelaDyne Chief Commercial Officer Mike Cooper, RelaDyne Chief Operating Officer Mike Sinicropi
- First Responder Honorees: Austin-Travis County EMS Captain Amber Price, the 2025 National Community Paramedic of the Year; Phill Johnson, the 2025 Austin Firefighter of the Year, and Austin police officer Tanner Cilento, a 2025 Star of Texas Award recipient
- Driver Introductions: Jose Castillo
- Invocation: Austin-Travis County EMS Clinical Specialist Tim Morrison
- Arrival of American Flag: RE/MAX Skydive Team
- Presentation of Colors: Austin-Travis County EMS Color Guard
- Pledge of Allegiance: General David M. Hodne, United States Army Transformation and Training Command
- National Anthem: Sebastian Olave, Strength & Conditioning Coach, City of Austin Public Safety
- Flyover: CH-47F Chinook and AH-64E Apache from the U.S. Army 166th Aviation Brigade
- Grand Marshal: RelaDyne Chief Executive Officer Eric Royse
- Honorary Pace Car Driver: Author Ryan Holiday
- Honorary Starter: RelaDyne Board Member David Woodruff
- Trophy Presenter: RelaDyne Chief Executive Officer Eric Royse
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