"Minions" Take Miami At Homestead-Miami Speedway During Ford Championship Weekend

MIAMI, Nov. 13, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Minion Mayhem is coming to Miami!  The lovable stars of the Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment summer blockbuster hit, Minions, will be at the Ford Championship Weekend from November 20-22, it was announced today by Homestead-Miami Speedway.  The three Minions – Kevin, Stuart and Bob -- will be a fixture throughout Homestead-Miami Speedway, making appearances with fans and participating in the Ford EcoBoost 400 pre-race ceremonies on Sunday, November 22. Minions will be released November 24 on Digital HD and Blu-ray/DVD on December 8.

NBC News' Anchor and "Today" Show co-host Hoda Kotb will serve as Grand Marshal at the Ford EcoBoost 400.  Ms. Kotb, the popular co-host of NBC's "Today" fourth hour with Kathie Lee Gifford, is also a "Dateline NBC" correspondent and New York Times Bestselling author and has been at NBC since 1998.  She will give the command for drivers to start their engines prior to the Sprint Cup Series championship race on Sunday, November 22.

"We are extremely excited to have the Minions and Hoda Kotb join us for Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November," Homestead-Miami Speedway President Matthew Becherer said. "The Minions are characters beloved by both adults and kids and we think our fans are going to enjoy seeing them around the venue throughout our NASCAR weekend. Hoda is a household name in national news, and we are thrilled to have her join us for what is going to be an electrifying Ford EcoBoost 400."

In addition, the Minions will introduce the "Minionwagon", a one-of-a-kind Ford Transit Connect Wagon that will be making appearances on a road trip at select locations, including as the Grand Marshal car for Ford Championship Weekend and a stop at Universal Orlando® Resort, on their way to the Today Show in New York City.  The Minions will also be the entitlement sponsor of the "Minions Kids Zone" in the Homestead-Miami Speedway display area, making an appearance on November 22.

"This is a fantastic opportunity to bring the Minions to the Ford Championship Weekend for the culmination of the NASCAR season," said John Morici, Managing Director, US & Canada, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. "NASCAR is a hugely popular and important family entertainment brand.  This event at the Homestead-Miami Speedway is a great showcase for Minions, one of the most highly anticipated home entertainment releases of the year."

The breakout stars the world fell in love with in the unprecedented worldwide blockbusters Despicable Me and Despicable Me 2 headline their own movie for the first time in Minions.  After their latest explosive mistake leaves them without an evil leader, the Minions fall into a deep depression.  With the tribe on the brink of collapse, three unlikely heroes – Kevin, Stuart, and Bob—embark on a journey to find a new big boss.  When their quest leads them to their next potential master, Scarlet Overkill (Academy Award® winner Sandra Bullock), our three heroes must face their biggest challenge yet: saving all of Minionkind…from annihilation. Minions also features the voice talents of Jon Hamm, Michael Keaton and Allison Janney.

The 2015 Ford Championship Weekend will be held on November 20-22 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, and will consist of the Sprint Cup Series, XFINITY Series and Camping World Truck Series finales. Tickets are available for the Ford EcoBoost 200 on Friday, November 20, and Ford EcoBoost 300 on Saturday, November 21, and can be purchased by calling (305) 230-5255 or visiting www.homesteadmiamispeedway.com. Tickets for the Ford EcoBoost 400 are officially sold out.

About Homestead-Miami Speedway
The Speedway has been open since 1995 following an initiative to spur economic recovery in the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew. Celebrating its 20^th anniversary in 2015, the 650-acre facility is active nearly 300 days per year, and features a 1.5-mile oval and 2.21-mile road course. The track generates more than $301 million annually for the region. NASCAR has crowned its champions in all three of its premier series at Homestead-Miami Speedway for 13 straight years. Champions crowned at Homestead-Miami Speedway last year consisted of Kevin Harvick (Sprint Cup Series), Chase Elliott (XFINITY Series) and Matt Crafton (Camping World Truck Series). The 2015 Ford Championship Weekend will be held November 20-22.

About Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (UPHE) is a unit of Universal Pictures, a division of Universal Studios (www.universalstudios.com). Universal Studios is a part of NBCUniversal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment television networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, world-renowned theme parks, and a suite of leading Internet-based businesses. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation.

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Michigan, manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 197,000 employees and 67 plants worldwide, the company's automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford and its products worldwide, please visit www.corporate.ford.com.

Media Contacts:
Neal Gulkis, 305.230.5233, [email protected]
Kelly Boyd, 305.230.5229, [email protected]

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SOURCE Homestead-Miami Speedway

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