The Daytona 500 is going to be a star-studded event. Known as ‘The Great American Race’, the crown-jewel event is expected to stay true to its name with the new Captain America (Anthony Mackie) and even Donald Trump potentially making an appearance. However, gray clouds hang above Daytona International Speedway as Mother Nature threatens to play spoilsport even before the Cup Series season has officially begun. With the stakes higher than ever, will the crown jewel event live up to the expectations?

Additional security measures will be in place if reports about the 45th and 47th U.S. President making his appearance at true. Keeping these factors in mind, what are the various things fans must keep in mind going into the Cup Series season-opener?

NASCAR insider shares Daytona 500 warning

The stage is set. The NASCAR Cup Series season is all set to kick off on Sunday, February 16th with the 67th Daytona 500. Fans will be praying that Mother Nature cooperates, as the threat of rain looms large, prompting the race to be moved up an hour and it will now begin at 2 pm Eastern Time. Just like his first term in 2020, Donald Trump is expected to participate in the pre-race festivities at Daytona International Speedway, taking a few laps around the 2.5-mile oval in his presidential limousine before saying the words, “Gentlemen, start your engines!”

Speaking from the ‘World Center of Racing,’ NASCAR YouTuber Eric Estepp issued a warning to fans, saying, “If you’re coming to the race, get here earlier than originally planned, partially because of the earlier start time but also partially because of the increased security screenings NASCAR just warned us about. While it has not been officially confirmed, it has been reported that the president is likely to attend this year’s Daytona 500. I wasn’t here in 2020, the last time President Trump was here, but people who I do know were here said yes, there was more security, it was a little more difficult to move from place to place to get around.”

With Trump returning to the Daytona 500 a looming possibility, let’s take a look at some of the rumored safety measures in place and what it would mean for the event. Marine One was seen at Daytona Beach International Airport and this is a telling sign of the President’s arrival. In 2020, safety measures, such as rigorous bag checks, were put in place for the crown jewel event. However, Trump’s arrival does promise a boost in ratings if we go by 2020 data.

In 2020, The Daytona 500 saw a 22% increase in viewership with Trump’s arrival, compared to 2019. As NASCAR has been struggling with its overall viewership for years, the Daytona 500 seems to remain undeterred as the biggest event of the racing calendar always delivers. This time around, we will see a group of talented racers step into the fold as history has already been made with Toyota clinching the pole position for the first time this century!

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Chase Briscoe will be leading the pack going into the season opener and is in a unique position to secure a win on his NASCAR debut with his new team. The former Stewart-Haas Racing driver showed a lightning-fast pace around the 2.5-mile tri-oval to finish above Austin Cindric in the qualifying session.

Dale Earnhardt Jr’s JR Motorsports will also be featuring a Cup Series car for the first time in the team’s history after the reigning Xfinity Series champ qualified for the season-opener. Jimmie Johnson and Martin Truex Jr. have also made it through and will be competing for the silverware at the 200-lap superspeedway race. Despite the additional security measures and the threat of rain, fans remain excited about the upcoming spectacle at one of the most iconic tracks in the world.

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NASCAR names its honorary pace car driver

Another star will be making his appearance at Daytona International Speedway. While Anthony Mackie has been named ‘Grand Marshall’ for ‘The Great American Race’, he isn’t the only actor who will be present at the racetrack. ‘Reacher’ star and actor Alan Ritchson will also be making an appearance at the season opener, and he will be driving the pace car for the 67th Daytona 500, driving the 2025 Chevrolet Blazer EV SS. Ritchson will be joining a long list of celebrities getting driving privileges at the iconic venue, which includes the likes of WWE wrestler Sheamus, NFL Hall of Famer Payton Manning, and country music star Brad Paisley.

Sharing the announcement, Frank Kelleher, President of Daytona International Speedway said, “Alan Ritchson serving as our honorary pace car driver for the DAYTONA 500 is sure to add strength to our star-studded dignitaries during pre-race festivities. Alan knows all about high stakes and performing in clutch time as he does in the Prime Video hit series Reacher, and we’re looking forward to him leading the Cup Series drivers to the green flag.”

Ritchson plays the lead actor in the Amazon Original Series Reacher, which has been adapted from the Jack Reacher book series written by Lee Child. The third season of the show will be airing on February 20th and the series has already been renewed for a fourth season in October 2024. NASCAR is starting its new season with a bang, and the underlying hope is that the Daytona 500 will not just live up to the expectations but even surpass it. As long as the weather permits.