Caeleb Dressel is making a splash in NASCAR this weekend at the Coke Zero Sugar 400 in Daytona! The 9-time Olympic gold medalist swimmer, fresh off winning three more medals in Paris, is set to be the honorary starter for the big race. Fans are in for a treat as Dressel takes the track to wave that iconic green flag and kick off the action.

“It’s not really about counting medals for me. It’s just about getting better every day,” just like most drivers in NASCAR believe Caeleb is also an achiever. He has competed three times in the Olympics, in Rio, Tokyo, and Paris.

Not only is Dressel a world-class swimmer, but he’s also deeply connected to Florida, growing up just about 75 miles north of Daytona in Green Cove Springs. This appearance at the Daytona International Speedway is like a homecoming celebration for him.

It’s a special moment as Dressel steps into the spotlight, continuing the legacy of Lindsey Vonn, who was the last active Olympic gold medalist to wave the green flag at a Cup Series race. Vonn did her part back in 2016, so it’s been quite a while since another Olympic champ has taken on this exciting role.

With Dressel’s presence adding some extra star power to the Coke Zero Sugar 400, fans are in for a treat. Bob Pockrass announced on his X page today, and fans are showing their excitement in the comments section. But it was not only Pockrass’ comments section that started to fill.

NASCAR fans show how excited they are to see an Olympian start the Coke Zero Sugar 400

“Holy W,” said one fan as they expressed amazement or excitement. The “W” stands for “win,” as the fan believes that Caeleb Dressel starting the race will be a big win for NASCAR. He holds several American records in swimming, including the 50 and 100-meter freestyle and the 50 and 100-meter butterfly.

“Given the forecasts, he might be able to swim,” said another fan, who, after remembering what happened last weekend in Michigan, made a joke about rains causing a flood enough to swim. NASCAR had to suspend the FireKeepers Casino 400 because of rain. Cars were called to pit road on lap 51 of the 200-lap race on Sunday and didn’t restart until Monday 11 a.m, due to which most fans had to watch the race while sitting at work.

“Local kid to Olympic champion. Cool stuff.”  This fan is all about appreciating the personal connection between Dressel’s roots and his Olympic success. The seven-time Olympic gold medalist and multiple World Champion is a Green Cove Springs, Florida, native. It’s a nod to how inspiring and exciting it is to see a local hero achieving greatness and getting the honor of waving the green flag for the Daytona race.

“I wanna see him swim in Lake Lloyd, lol.” This fan is humorously wishing for a bit of extra fun at the race by imagining Dressel’s podium-topping triumphs and monumental feats at the 2019 World Aquatics Championships have carved his name in the annals of aquatic history.

Some fans were even excited about Dressel being the honorary starter at Daytona. Despite the coolness of the event, they’re tempted to wear their Florida State University (FSU) t-shirts for the race. The comment read, “While this is completely awesome, I’m totally tempted to wear my FSU t-shirt on Saturday now.”

That said, are you excited to see the Olympian start the second last race before the playoffs? Share your thoughts in the comments below.