“They’ll bring the perfect Miami vibe.” That is what Homestead-Miami Speedway President Guillermo Santa Cruz said about a few incoming guests. As NASCAR heads to the South Florida racetrack this weekend, reggaeton blues and football frenzy will permeate the motorsports crowd. It’s the complete Miami experience, right? After all, there’s no reason for the festivities to stop.

Fans had a blast at the recently concluded Cup Series race in Las Vegas. Academy Award-winning Hollywood actor Morgan Freeman acted as the grand marshal. However, unlike global giants like Freedman, NASCAR pulled in guests of local flavor for Florida—and fans are a little critical. They do not seem too eager to receive these new experiences.

Journalist Bob Pockrass dropped the big announcements on X. After Morgan Freeman made jaws drop in Las Vegas, the Grand Marshal for this weekend is a football celebrity. Pockrass wrote: “Miami Dolphins LB Bradley Chubb will give the command to start engines for the Cup race Sunday at Homestead.” It won’t be the first time an NFL star will join the NASCAR stage. Notably, Charles Woodson, NFL Hall of Famer, took on the Grand Marshal role at the 2022 Daytona 500, while JJ Watt waved the flag in 2019.

Chubb seemed extremely eager to get started in his new role. “I’m extremely excited for the opportunity to kick off the Straight Talk Wireless 400 in South Florida. Getting a behind-the-scenes look at Homestead-Miami Speedway last week was an incredible experience, and I can’t wait to feel the energy on Sunday.” 

Additionally, Pockrass also announced the special guest for the pace car driving honor at Homestead-Miami Speedway. “Grammy Award winner Wisin will drive the pace car prior to the start of the Cup race Sunday at Homestead.” Grammy Award-winner and urban superstar Wisin achieved 44 entries on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart as a solo artist. He was part of the duo Wisin & Yandel – the pair introduced the world to reggaeton and won multiple Latin Grammy and Billboard Latin Music Awards.

Homestead-Miami Speedway head Guillermo Santa Cruz offered the guests a warm welcome. He said about Bradley Chubb: “Bradley’s tenacity and passion on the field embody the spirit of competition that we’ve continued to produce here at Homestead-Miami Speedway.” And then about Wisin: “Their music brings together fans across all musical genres and they’ll bring the perfect Miami vibe to what promises to be another spectacular day at the races here in Homestead.”

However, NASCAR fans are not as welcoming to the new guests as the track president is. The main issue they raised was – the lack of popularity.

Fans gape in oblivion at guests

Well, the NASCAR schedule includes racetracks all over the country. Ranging from the cold climate of North Carolina to the warm and sunny weather of Los Angeles, fans get treated to racing in various locations. So when NASCAR pulls in local celebrities, most of the fanbase remains clueless about their identities.

The racing community is currently facing this dilemma ahead of the Homestead-Miami Speedway events. Most people scratched their heads at who Wisin was. One fan wrote, “Lol wut.” Another fan was equally puzzled and admitted to their lack of knowledge. Clearly, they are not a native of Miami: “No idea who that is 🙃” For those who have no clue about Wisin, he has collaborated with artists like Jennifer Lopez, 50 Cent, T-Pain, and Enrique Iglesias.

Among the hilarious responses of NASCAR fans was a reference to a popular movie. Perhaps it’s an after-effect of Morgan Freeman coming to Las Vegas and dazzling the NASCAR world. In the movie ‘Castaway’, Tom Hanks is trapped on an island with a ball whose name is ‘Wilson.’ So one fan opined that the reggaeton musical artist’ name chimes with that character. “Are talking about the volleyball in that Tom Hanks movie?” 

Although most of the fan reactions were focused on who Wisin is, some were puzzled about Bradley Chubb as well. The college football star is clearly not widely known in the motorsports world, as one fan implied. Interestingly, they dropped the same comment on both of Pockrass’ announcements: “Never heard of her.” Well, for fans who don’t know Chubb, his accolades speak for themselves. The two-time veteran Pro Bowl star played college football for four seasons at NC State. His awards are plentiful: ACC Defensive Player of the Year, first-team All-ACC, first-team All-America, the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, and others.

Another fan was just upset about NASCAR’s choice of guests. They also threw a sharp jab at the broadcasters, given that FOX has fumbled several times this season already. “What’s the point? They need to give up this stupid ass tradition. They don’t even mention it on the broadcast and usually it’s somebody no one’s ever heard of.” While the fan’s criticism of NASCAR traditions is one thing, Chubbs’ presence may come with a reason. Miami Dolphins owner Steve Ross has a history of bringing his players to motorsports events. Just a few years ago, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa waved off the checkered flag at F1’s 2023 Miami GP.

Evidently, NASCAR is not drumming up the highest enthusiasm for Homestead-Miami Speedway. As we head into South Florida, let us see what other factors will be exciting for us.