BROOKLYN, Mich. (July 31, 2014) – The United States ice dancing team of Meryl Davis and Charlie White will serve as the grand marshals for the Pure Michigan 400 on August 17 at Michigan International Speedway.
White and Davis, the 2014 Olympic Champion ice dancing team, will give the command of “start your engines” at the Pure Michigan 400.
“We are happy to have Meryl Davis and Charlie White serve as grand marshals for the Pure Michigan 400,” track President Roger Curtis said. “It was exciting to cheer the pair to Olympic Gold in the 2014 Games. It will be great to welcome them to MIS.”
With their win at the 2014 U.S. Championships, Davis and White secured their second Olympic Team berth and set their sights on gold at the Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia. The team again made history, with their short dance and “Scheherazade”-themed free dance garnering a record score of 195.52 points, becoming the first-ever American ice dancing team to win Olympic gold.
After the games Davis and White both competed on season 18 of Dancing with the Stars. Davis and her partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy took home the Mirror Ball Trophy as the champions.
“We are working every day to spread the word about the positive things happening in Michigan and Charlie White and Meryl Davis have been terrific ambassadors for our state,” said Leslie Hornung, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. “Their work ethic, energy and passion for Michigan are undeniable and we are proud to have them serving as grand marshals for this year’s Pure Michigan 400.”
Time is the truest test of any relationship, and just like NASCAR drivers and their teams, the U.S. ice dancing team of Davis and White know better than anyone how the strongest partnerships do not just appear overnight. Paired in 1997, the acclaimed duo is the longest-running ice dancing partnership in the history of United States figure skating.
Among their proudest accomplishments, they are the 2014 Olympic Gold Medalists, 2010 Olympic Silver Medalists and two-time World Champions. Davis and White are also six-time U.S. Champions and five-time Grand Prix Final Champions.
When not on the ice Davis enjoys reading, traveling and learning about other cultures while White is an avid sports fan, particularly hockey. Believing education is important, they are both currently students at the University of Michigan. Davis is majoring in anthropology with a minor in Italian, while White is majoring in political science and hopes to attend law school in the future.
In addition to skating and schoolwork, Davis and White also support the Classroom Champions program, which connects students in high-need schools with top performing athletes to help them to recognize their potential, set goals and dream big.
Both were born and raised in Michigan (White-Royal Oak and Davis-West Bloomfield) and were recently named the grand marshals for the 88th America’s Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit.
Nestled in the lush Irish Hills of Southeastern Michigan, Michigan International Speedway is NASCAR’s fastest track and the Great Escape, a venerable NASCAR national park where fans can get away and enjoy the very best in racing and camaraderie. It’s the love of racing and the thrill of a great time for race fans and drivers alike.
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2014 Michigan International Speedway Schedule
Friday, Aug. 15 Bandit Chippers Pole Day
Saturday, Aug. 16 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Careers for Veterans 200 presented by The
Cooper Standard Foundation & Brad Keselowski’s Checkered Flag Foundation
Sunday, Aug. 17 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Pure Michigan 400
