WATCH: Bryan Harsin goes on a test run inside Talladega pace car

Bryan Harsin is playing an important role at Sunday’s Geico 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. The leader of the Auburn Tigers is serving as the honorary pace car driver, leading the field to green to begin the race.

Prior to the exciting moment, Harsin had to get some practice laps in. Check out these videos of the Auburn football coach going on a test run inside the Talladega pace car, courtesy of Rosie Langello of WSFA 12 News in Alabama.

Little test run never hurts @wsfa12news https://t.co/ilGzLQAaAe pic.twitter.com/B9BfPVvekB

— Rosie Langello (@RosieLangello) April 24, 2022

Before Harsin entered the passenger seat to see what he’s in for later on Sunday, he snapped some photos with his family.

“Have fun babe,” Harsin’s wife, Kes Harsin, said as he drove off. “You’re not going to get him out of that car. He’s going to stay in there as long as he can. It’s his thing.”

Moreover, the event is set to start at 3 p.m. ET on FOX, with a 188-lap race scheduled on the 2.66-mile track in front of a massive crowd. With the new model of the NASCAR cars ready to hit this track for the first time, the result could prove to be as unpredictable as ever.

As for Bryan Harsin, the Auburn coach is entering his second season at the helm of the Tigers, and now gets a chance to participate in Alabama’s largest non-football event of the year at Talladega Superspeedway. Auburn recently wrapped up spring practice with A-Day festivities which provided fans a look at the new roster.

Despite a disappointing end to the 2021 season and a string of offseason controversies surrounding the program, the Auburn Tigers retained several key pieces of the roster and brought in reinforcements through the transfer portal.

Paul Finebaum on Bryan Harsin

Furthermore, Auburn Tigers head coach Bryan Harsin went through the wringer this offseason, not sure if he was going to have a job for the 2022 season or not. After a long month, the situation was resolved and the program decided to keep Harsin but there has to be a sense that he is on thin ice.

ESPN college football analyst Paul Finebaum recently went on the radio to discuss the entire saga and how the Tigers should feel after spring practice. Cole Cubic set up the question by saying he was at the spring game and the overall vibe was positive surrounding Harsin and Auburn. Finebaum said he hoped that was the case but does not know if the head coach will survive if they get off to a rocky start.

“Cole, what you just got through saying, I think is how Auburn feels right now but also think that is a natural reaction,” Finebaum said. “I’ve seen this before and I don’t think it necessarily predicts the future because a football team rallies around its coach. If it didn’t rally around him, then I am not sure there would be any reason for Bryan Harsin to continue based on what we saw at the end of last season and in the aftermath. I think we’re way too far away. Until we get the quarterback situation established and then we see what this new staff looks like and whether this is truly the restart. It looks like a restart.”

On3’s James Fletcher III contributed to this article.