Arguably the most high-profile American stock car race, the Daytona 500, is garnering immense traction because of many fan-favorites gracing the occasion. These personalities include both top-ranking racers and celebrities from other fields who are honored to be a part of this ground-breaking annual event. And that very much includes the Grand Marshal for the upcoming race, Dwayne Johnson. ‘The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment’ is super pumped to attend the grand race. And not for the first time. However, his last time around was a truly memorable one, as recalled by The Rock, who got stuck in his car.
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Dwayne Johnson has already flooded his social media with immense Daytona hype. In a recent post on X, he tweeted, “Man I’m pumped to be the Grand Marshal for THIS SUNDAY’s ELECTRIFYING @DAYTONA 500 🏎️ The ENERGY, the MANA, with the KINGS of the road!! I’ve always had massive respect for the drivers and this sport— can’t wait!! Truly honored to give the command, “Drivers start your engines” ~ people’s champ.”
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However, he did add a small post-script edit later: “ps – last time I tried to squeeze my big 270lb ass into a NASCAR car, I got stuck… so LFG 😂🏎️☝🏾.”
Almost 20 years back, he served as the grand marshal for a race at Texas Motor Speedway in April 2004. But Daytona 500 hits differently, as is evident from the bursting enthusiasm in his words.
As the grand marshal, Dwayne Johnson will give the command to drivers to start their engines. The privilege of getting the 40 cars off the mark is unparalleled, considering it’s for NASCAR’s crown jewel event. Johnson will also promote his new sports league, the United Football League (UFL), during the race.
Man I’m pumped to be the Grand Marshal for THIS SUNDAY’s ELECTRIFYING @DAYTONA 500 🏎️
The ENERGY, the MANA, with the KINGS of the road!! I’ve always had massive respect for the drivers and this sport— can’t wait!!
Truly honored to give the command, “Drivers start your engines”… pic.twitter.com/rMqQuQszEp— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) February 16, 2024
Frank Kelleher, president of the Daytona International Speedway, added his excitement about the Rock’s presence. “There are very few people who can truly match the energy around the pomp and circumstance of The Great American Race, and The Rock may be the only person who can actually ramp it up even more. We can’t wait to see how he fires up the crowd and the engines for all the fans.”
While the Rock’s involvement is a huge deal for NASCAR, the idea of being graced by big names isn’t new. The Daytona 500 has seen some big names flagging off the race before.
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The Daytona 500 race reaches for the stars
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Over the past several years, the Grand Marshal post has seen a group of stars from every field you can imagine. The list includes the Houston Texans J.J. Watt, the Captain America star Chris Evans, American singer and rapper, Pitbull, Pro Football Hall of Famer, Charles Woodson and more. This year, Trackhouse Racing co-owner Pitbull will also deliver a riveting pre-race performance.
NASCAR celebrated its 75th anniversary last year in a unique way. The command to start engines was given by drivers who had won both a Daytona 500 and a Cup Series championship. The list included Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano, Richard Petty, Jeff Gordon, Bobby Allison, Bill Elliott, Dale Jarrett and Kurt Busch.
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The Rock will flag off the Daytona 500 race on February 18th and the world of NASCAR will once again ‘smell what The Rock is cooking.’