As a preview of the city's first-ever NASCAR night race, engineers from Musco Lighting joined Memphis Motorsports Park officials at the track Wednesday night to flip the switch on the paved oval as it will appear "under the lights" on July 23 for the O'Reilly 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race.

"Tonight, with just one mobile unit, they lit our entire front stretch, from turn 4 to turn 1," said Jason Rittenberry, Vice President and General Manager of Memphis Motorsports Park. "When they return in July for our race, there will be nine trucks lighting the track. It will be almost like driving - and watching - a race in daylight, except we won't have to contend with the July sun."

Musco Lighting has been associated with auto racing since 1986 - the same year that Memphis Motorsports Park was founded - and entered the sport with temporary lighting systems at Bristol Motor Speedway and Richmond International Raceway. Working to ensure driver safety, spectator needs and television requirements, Musco will bring their revolutionary system to Memphis this summer, surrounding the track with 81,000,000 lumens of light. In layman's terms, that is equal to the light produced by nearly 13,500 60-watt household bulbs.

The "Truck" race will be the first-ever NASCAR race run at night in Memphis. A one-day event with practice and qualifying during the day on Saturday while the race will take the green flag Saturday night at 7:15 p.m., courtesy of the massive installation of temporary lighting. Family Day headline entertainment will include Building 429 and Plea 33. Tickets are $10-$42.

The competition in this year's NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is sure to provide its own brand of entertainment. The surge in the circuit's popularity is equaled only by the track's reputation for producing different winners - seven in the track's seven-year history. Past champions include Bobby Hamilton (2004), Ted Musgrave (2003), Travis Kvapil (2002), Dennis Setzer (2001), Jack Sprague (2000), Greg Biffle (1999) and Ron Hornaday, Jr. (1998). With the exception of Biffle and Kvapil, they will all be back in Memphis in July, along with former Nextel Cup Series regulars Ricky Craven, Jimmy Spencer and Mike Skinner.

For more information or to order tickets, call toll-free 1-866-40-SPEED or visit www.memphismotorsportspark.com.