KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Neil Smith and “The Nigerian Nightmare” will give the starting command Saturday during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Digital Ally 400 at Kansas Speedway.
The Kansas City, Kansas, track announced that two former Kansas City Chiefs Pro Bowlers — Smith, a defensive end, and running back Christian Okoye — would deliver auto racing’s most famous phrase, “Drivers, start your engines” before Saturday evening’s race.
Another former Chiefs player, defensive back Mark Collins, will wave the checkered flag
Smith, a six-time Pro Bowl selection, played for the Chiefs from 1988-96 and led the NFL in sacks in 1993 (15).
He won two Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos after leaving Kansas City and was inducted into the Chiefs’ Hall of Fame in 2006.
Okoye, a two-time Pro Bowl pick, played in Kansas City from 1987-92 and led the NFL in rushing in 1989, when he was chosen as the AFC Offensive Player of the Year.
He was enshrined in the team’s Hall of Fame in 2000.
Collins, who played for the Chiefs from 1994-96, won a pair of Super Bowls early in his career with the New York Giants. He also played for the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks.
