FORT WORTH, Texas -- Space Shuttle Endeavour pilot Doug Hurley has flown the country’s most expensive piece of aircraft, but he still finds himself electrified by Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage’s plans for his grand entrance during the pre-race festivities for Sunday’s Dickies 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.

Gossage is keeping the arrival a surprise to the Texas Motor Speedway fans and will only hint that some type of aircraft will be involved. Hurley, a United States Marines Corps colonel who has been a Texas Motor Speedway season ticketholder since 2005, has been briefed on the plan and is looking forward to participating in the American Racing Custom Wheels Pre-Race Show leading up to the Dickies 500.

“When Texas Motor Speedway said that they wanted to honor me, I thought Eddie would say a few kind words about me on the pre-race stage,” Hurley said. “This is beyond my wildest dreams, but everyone told me that Eddie would come up with something dramatic and he sure did. I am a huge NASCAR fan and to be part of the pre-race show for a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at my home track is a tremendous honor.”

Gossage himself is equally excited about meeting perhaps the only season ticketholder in the history of Texas Motor Speedway that has traveled through space. “How cool is it that a Texas Motor Speedway season ticketholder is a space shuttle pilot?” Gossage mused. “It is amazing to learn that he carried NASCAR items – including one from Texas Motor Speedway I am told – on his mission aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour. I guess this proves once and for all that race fans are rocket scientists. I think our fans are really going to enjoy seeing one of their own be honored in the way we have planned. It should be a very cool deal.”

Hurley took a few NASCAR-related items on the STS-127 mission of the Space Shuttle Endeavour that launched with his six crewmates July 15 from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. They spent 16 days in space, highlighted by the docking and service to the International Space Station.

Hurley, 43, had waited nine years for his first space flight since being named to the astronaut corps in 2000, so he thought it was only appropriate while in space to watch a DVD of Dale Earnhardt finally winning the Daytona 500 in 1998.

“I had waited a long time to fly in space and he waited a long time to win the Daytona 500, so I thought it was fitting to watch that while docked at the International Space Station,” Hurley said. “Dale never gave up on winning the Daytona 500 and finally achieved his goal, and I could definitely relate to that type of perseverance.”

also returned with some mementos from his trip that he will present over the course of the Dickies 500 weekend to Gossage, two-time Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart, Sprint Cup Series owner Joe Gibbs and two-time champion crew chief Greg Zipadelli of Joe Gibbs Racing.

“I know all of these guys have probably collected their share of memorabilia over the course of their careers, but I am hoping something from space may be a bit unique to their collection,” Hurley said.

Gossage and Hurley will meet with the media at 10:15 a.m. CT Sunday in the Samsung Infield Media Center, where Gossage will unveil the grand arrival plans and Hurley will present him with the memento from space.

“I hope it’s someone interested in Texas Motor Speedway season tickets that he found in space,” Gossage kidded. “Seriously, it will be a real honor for me to meet Doug and I am looking forward to seeing what he brought back from space for us at Texas Motor Speedway.”

Hurley will be part of the American Racing Custom Wheels Pre-Race Show that begins at Noon CT and features a one-hour concert by ZZ Top beginning at 12:30 p.m. Fans can purchase an American Racing Custom Wheels Pre-Race Show “Mosh Pit” ticket for $79 that allows them to watch the concert and Sprint Cup Series driver introductions directly in front of the stage. The “Mosh Pit” ticket must be accompanied by a Dickies 500 race ticket and can not be used separately.

Frontstretch tickets remain for the Dickies 500 and are available by calling (817) 215-8500 or by visiting www.texasmotorspeedway.com.