Shaq will take on Junior Wednesday in Concord
Friday, Jun. 18, 2010
Shaquille O'Neal has boxed against Oscar de la Hoya, swum against Michael Phelps, and tried to beat Albert Pujols in a home run hitting contest.
Now Shaq is going racin' - against NASCAR's most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr.
The Shaq vs. Junior race will take place Wednesday afternoon at Concord Motor Speedway, a half-mile dirt track, and will be taped by ABC for a segment of the "Shaq Vs." television series that pits the NBA standout - all 7 feet, 1inch and 325 pounds - against other athletes in their sport.
ABC officials said Friday they are not sure when the show will air, but the second season of "Shaq Vs." begins in early August.
Media Rights Capital, which produces the show with Dick Clark Productions, says O'Neal and Earnhardt will decide the terms of the race next week.
It will be O'Neal's first stock car race. Earnhardt has won 18 Sprint Cup races, although he has not won a race in NASCAR's top circuit in two years.
Admission will be free, and the event is open to the public. However, no cameras or cell phones will be permitted in the track, as ABC would prefer to keep results of the race under wraps until the show airs later this year. Gates at the track, which is on U.S. 601 north of N.C. 24/27, open at 1 p.m.
O'Neal lost two of three races to Phelps, despite a distance handicap, and also lost to Pujols and dela Hoya in the first season of the show. But he landed several good punches on de la Hoya and lost only 16-10 to Pujols.
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