When the NASCAR Daytona 500 kicked off, WWE superstar Sasha Banks took on the role of honorary starter. She waved the green flag to start the iconic race, and safe to say, she had a really good time at the Daytona International Speedway. Apparently, she was not the only WWE star there, as her contemporary, Kalisto also turned up for the race weekend. Recently, Banks spoke about her experience as a NASCAR spectator. She said [https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1361646823585234944], “I’m a little shook, but I’m really excited. This is really crazy, I haven’t felt this much energy in forever. That adrenaline… You have to be here, its so loud, it was so wild! “I have so much respect for NASCAR, so much respect for the drivers, the teams, the crew, everyone. What a hustle to do this.” In the end, Banks got to witness a hugely entertaining Daytona 500. There was plenty of action, drama, a huge rain delay, and yet another unexpected winner. To be precise, Michael McDowell took the checkered flag for his first-ever win in the Cup Series. HOW DID THE NASCAR DAYTONA 500 PAN OUT? As mentioned before, there was plenty of action on the track. There were plenty of wrecks, and even the rain gods decided to drop by and say hello. That promptly resulted in a lengthy red flag period during the middle of the first stage. To further complicate matters, there was even lightning detected in the area. Luckily, it soon cleared up, and everyone was back racing once again. After a lot more racing action, things came to a head on the final lap. Michael McDowell accidentally tagged Brad Keselowski, who clipped Joey Logano in turn. The two Penske cars then triggered another ‘Big One’ and it resulted in a number of eliminations. All in all, it certainly ensured that Sasha Banks and Kalisto enjoyed themselves. Other celebrity appearances included team Trackhouse co-owner, Pitbull. Apparently, he was serving as the Grand Marshal for the race. Needless to say, it was one of the most entertaining races. READ MORE: WWE Superstar Sasha Banks Set to Appear at NASCAR Daytona 500 [https://www.essentiallysports.com/nascar-wwe-news-wwe-superstar-sasha-banks-set-to-appear-at-nascar-daytona-500/] 

Recently, WWE Superstar Sasha Banks spoke about making an appearance at the
NASCAR Daytona 500 as an honorary starter for the iconic race.

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“Haven’t Felt This Much Energy” – WWE Superstar Sasha Banks on Her NASCAR
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<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong>What is the Daytona 500?</strong></h2>
For any NASCAR fan, the Daytona 500 race holds a special place in their hearts. The most prestigious race in the Cup Series, a win at the revered race bestows limitless repute and honor to its victor. Often referred to as the unofficial "birthplace of speed", Daytona Beach, where the race has been held for over six decades, has a long and storied history. Currently, it features on the <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/category/nascar/nascar-cup-series/">NASCAR Cup Series</a> schedule as one of the four crown-jewel races and also features the highest winning prize among all Cup races.

[caption id="attachment_1627382" align="alignnone" width="1"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-1627382" src="https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/imago1024835900h.jpg" alt="Daytona 500" width="1" height="1" /> Daytona International Speedway plays host to the NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Series for the Daytona 500 in Daytona Beach, FL, USA. Daytona Beach United States of America - ZUMAc04_ 20230219_zaf_c04_386 Copyright: xWalterxGxArcexSrxActionxSportsxPx[/caption]
<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong>Origins of the Daytona 500</strong></h2>
While many stories about the origin of Daytona races date back to 1903 when two men challenged each other to a race to decide whose horseless carriage was the fastest, the sturdy stock car race at the iconic location came into being in 1959, courtesy of NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. And on February 22, in front of 41,000 people, the revered race planted its seed to mega-stardom. The inaugural race was the only instance when both hard top and convertible vehicles were allowed to race. Since then, the Daytona 500 has been much-awaited by stock car racing fans every year.

<img class="alignnone wp-image-2632995 size-full" src="https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/DoBedrfXoAAjZ5P-1.jpeg" alt="" width="3000" height="2400" />

And while the Daytona Beach, Florida location is already iconic, the track that hosts the Daytona 500 race is just as well-thought out and executed. Wanting to give fans an edge-of-the-seat thriller, Bill Frances Sr brainstormed alongside engineers to create a track that would have the highest banking, allowing cars to reach topmost speed. And soon the prospect presented itself in the form of a tri-oval with 31 degrees banking at turns and 18 degrees at the start/finish lines. With 2.5 mile in length, today, the race lasts 500 miles/200 laps.

The first-ever Daytona 500, called the <b>1959 First 500 Mile NASCAR International Sweepstakes at Daytona</b> back then, saw 59 cars competing.Â The winning purse of the inaugural race had a steep value of $53, 050, out of which Lee Petty took home $19,050 for his victory while the runner-up Beauchamp secured $7,650.
<h2 style="text-align: center"><span style="font-weight: 400"><strong>Why is the Daytona 500 called â€˜The Great American Raceâ€™</strong></span></h2>
As one of the most iconic spectator sports events in America, the Daytona 500 definitely takes the cake when it comes to being NASCAR's crÃ¨me de la crÃ¨me. Throughout history, the event has often been compared to the Super-Bowl, the crown jewel of the NFL. However, many NASCAR enthusiasts haven't been too keen about that description and have placed the crown-jewel race way above the Super Bowl.

The Daytona 500 has also been synonymous with the President's Day weekend in every NASCAR fan's heart. From 1968 to 2011, the race was held on President's Day weekend every year. However, NASCAR decided to change that in 2012 with news of an NFL schedule revamp doing the rounds. As per reports, NFL was planning to expand its 18-game regular season and as per the new roster, the Super Bowl was to be held on the same day as the Daytona 500. Sensing a dent on viewership numbers, the stock car racing organization move the race. However, as the NFL season-expansion plans failed to reach fruition, the Daytona 500 was moved to its original calendar spot. Now, that's definitely a win-win!

While the winning purse of the Daytona 500 is already a stuff of legends, sitting atop with the largest return, the trophy being awarded to the victors isn't any less prized either. Called the Harley J Earl trophy, the prize has been named after legendary automobile designer, Harley Earl, who was also a close friend of Bill France Sr and a General Motors executive back in the day. Earl is most significantly known for being the Father of the Corvette. He has also been credited for designing the Firebird I prototype. The Daytona 500 race is full of prestige and perks for sure.

One other aspect that the race victor gets to experience is their car being showcased at the Daytona 500 experience, for one year in its race-winning condition. For the uninitiated, the Daytona 500 Experience is a museum and gallery situated next to the Daytona International Speedway.

[caption id="attachment_1948603" align="alignnone" width="1800"]<img class="wp-image-1948603 size-full" src="https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/imago0004296892h.jpg" alt="Daytona 500" width="1800" height="1200" /> Teilnehmerfeld der Daytona 500, v.li.: Martin Truex Jr., Tony Stewart, Kurt Busch, Jimmie Johnson, David Ragan, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Clint Bowyer, Carl Edwards, Brian Vickers und David Stremme - (ZUMAse4)[/caption]
<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong>Highlights of the Daytona 500</strong></h2>
The inaugural Daytona 500 race in 1959 was won by Richard Petty's father, the legendary Lee Petty. The patriarch of the NASCAR royalty family clinched victory driving a 1959 Oldsmobile for Newton Chappell at the inaugural event outperforming Johnny Beauchamp. Charley Griffith, representing Red Bank, finished P3, while Cotton Owens and Joe Weatherly wrapped up the Top-5 positions.

<img class="alignnone wp-image-2491357 size-full" src="https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/lee-petty.jpeg" alt="" width="1600" height="1262" />

&nbsp;

Lee Petty's son isn't much far behind on the Daytona 500 record book either. With seven wins, <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/richard-petty/">Richard Petty</a> sits atop the most-wins list at the venue. What makes his feat even more legendary is the fact that Petty managed to clinch four of those titles in a single decade, in 1971, 1973, 1974 and 1979. The rest of his victories came in 1964, 1966 and 1981.

While the initial years of the Daytona 500 didn't see much vehicle policing, it soon became apparent that certain rules and restrictions would have to be put in place. One of the biggest instances of a change came in 1988 when former stock car racing driver and NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Allison's car went airborne and hit the catch fence at 200 mph at Talladega in May, the previous year. As a result, restrictor plates were made mandatory in hopes that they would stunt speed, which in turn would stop vehicles from going airborne.

Speaking of Bobby Allison, he also became the oldest driver to win the race at 50 years, 2 months and 11 days, in 1988. On the other hand, Trevor Bayne is the youngest Daytona 500 winner. Bayne was 20 years and 1 day old when he won the event in 2011.

Another revamp that hit NASCAR and the Daytona 500 was during the 50th anniversary of the Daytona 500 race, when 'Cars of Tomorrow' debuted for the first time in the stock car racing circuit. While the name might throw some people off, 'Cars of Tomorrow' simply entailed that the same roll cage, frame and body would be used in all kinds of race tracks as opposed to how crew members would need to build different cars for different tracks like superspeedways, road courses and short tracks.

The Daytona 500, being such a grand event, has often been associated with high-profile names. In a bid to make the event even more exciting, every year, the organizers bring in popular figures to serve as a Grand Marshal. While 'Captain America' famed Chris Evans graced the event in 2014, Nicholas cage stopped by in 2007. Even former US presidents Donald Trump and George W Busch served as the event's grand marshal in 2020 and 2004, respectively.
<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong>Â Qualifying Format of the Daytona 500</strong></h2>
Currently, the Daytona 500 sees 40 cars competing, out of which 36 sports belong to drivers whose teams have their own charters. The rest of the 4 spots, which are referred to as open cars and constitute teams that do not own a charter.

In its 65 year history, the Daytona 500 has had many revamps to its qualifying format. From two timed laps, the better of two laps, to the average of two laps, the crown jewel race has explored several avenues to decide its starting grid. However, what stuck and is currently in place is a two-race qualifying. The first race is a single-car qualifying where each driver takes up one lap. The Top 10 drivers from that round advance to the second round where their order in the main event starting grid is determined. The single-car runs decide the front row of the Daytona 500. They also decide the lineup for the qualifying races also referred to asÂ <em>"the duels".Â </em>The starting grid is eventually decided on the basis of the duels.
<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong>The Black Sunday of the Daytona 500</strong></h2>
The Daytona 500 was perhaps one of <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/dale-earnhardt/">Dale Earnhardt</a>'s greatest achievements. After chasing an elusive win at the track for about two decades of his career, the driver finally succeeded in finish P1 in 1998. However, just three years later, the same race would claim his life. It all happened on February 18, 2001, when the driver was competing in the final lap of the race. <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/nascar-news-nerve-wracking-crashes-that-changed-nascar-forever-edition-five-dale-earnhardt/">The driver slammed head-first into the retaining wall</a> after contact with Ken Schrader and Sterling Marlin. The driver had suffered from a basilar skull fracture and had died instantly upon contact. Earnardt's death triggered a wave of safety improvements in stock cars and are seen even today.

[caption id="attachment_2105958" align="alignnone" width="1920"]<img class="wp-image-2105958 size-full" src="https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/imago1029986512h-e1699811493626.jpg" alt="Dale Earnhardt Sr" width="1920" height="1080" /> US PRESSWIRE Sports-Historical Unknown date Daytona Beach, FL, USA: FILE PHOTO NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Winston Cup Series driver Dale Earnhardt Sr 3 waits in his car in the garage area at the Daytona International Speedway. Daytona Beach Florida UNITED STATES, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xUSAxTODAYxSportsx 5145564<br />Image Credits - Imago[/caption]

&nbsp;
<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong>The changes of the name of the Daytona 500</strong></h2>
The Daytona 500 has seen a plethora of name changes till date. While the first-ever edition of the race was called the 1959 First 500 Mile NASCAR International Sweepstakes at Daytona, the name was changed the very next year to the Inaugural 500 Mile International Sweepstakes. The race, then, went on to be known as the Daytona 500 by STP from 1991 to 1993. On the year of Dale Earnhardt's passing in 2001, it was known as the Daytona 500 by Dodge. In 2007, a new name was coined yet again and this time, the race was called Daytona 500 by Toyota. From 1961 to 1990, 1994 to 2000 and from 2002 to 2006, the race was called Daytona 500 and since 2008, that's the very name that has stuck around.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Daytona 500

What is the Daytona 500? For any NASCAR fan, the Daytona 500 race holds a special place in their hearts. The most prestigious race in the Cup Series, a win at the revered race bestows limitless repute and honor to its victor. Often referred to as the unofficial &#8220;birthplace of speed&#8221;, Daytona Beach, where the race has been held for over six decades, has a long and storied history. Currently, it features on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule as one of the four crown-jewel races and also features the highest winning prize among all Cup races. Daytona International Speedway plays host to the NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Series for the Daytona 500 in Daytona Beach, FL, USA. Daytona Beach United States of America &#8211; ZUMAc04_ 20230219_zaf_c04_386 Copyright: xWalterxGxArcexSrxActionxSportsxPx Origins of the Daytona 500 While many stories about the origin of Daytona races date back to 1903 when two men challenged each other to a race to decide whose horseless carriage was the fastest, the sturdy stock car race at the iconic location came into being in 1959, courtesy of NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. And on February 22, in front of 41,000 people, the revered race planted its seed to mega-stardom. The inaugural race was the only instance when both hard top and convertible vehicles were allowed to race. Since then, the Daytona 500 has been much-awaited by stock car racing fans every year. And while the Daytona Beach, Florida location is already iconic, the track that hosts the Daytona 500 race is just as well-thought out and executed. Wanting to give fans an edge-of-the-seat thriller, Bill Frances Sr brainstormed alongside engineers to create a track that would have the highest banking, allowing cars to reach topmost speed. And soon the prospect presented itself in the form of a tri-oval with 31 degrees banking at turns and 18 degrees at the start/finish lines. With 2.5 mile in length, today, the race lasts 500 miles/200 laps. The first-ever Daytona 500, called the 1959 First 500 Mile NASCAR International Sweepstakes at Daytona back then, saw 59 cars competing.Â The winning purse of the inaugural race had a steep value of $53, 050, out of which Lee Petty took home $19,050 for his victory while the runner-up Beauchamp secured $7,650. Why is the Daytona 500 called â€˜The Great American Raceâ€™ As one of the most iconic spectator sports events in America, the Daytona 500 definitely takes the cake when it comes to being NASCAR&#8217;s crÃ¨me de la crÃ¨me. Throughout history, the event has often been compared to the Super-Bowl, the crown jewel of the NFL. However, many NASCAR enthusiasts haven&#8217;t been too keen about that description and have placed the crown-jewel race way above the Super Bowl. The Daytona 500 has also been synonymous with the President&#8217;s Day weekend in every NASCAR fan&#8217;s heart. From 1968 to 2011, the race was held on President&#8217;s Day weekend every year. However, NASCAR decided to change that in 2012 with news of an NFL schedule revamp doing the rounds. As per reports, NFL was planning to expand its 18-game regular season and as per the new roster, the Super Bowl was to be held on the same day as the Daytona 500. Sensing a dent on viewership numbers, the stock car racing organization move the race. However, as the NFL season-expansion plans failed to reach fruition, the Daytona 500 was moved to its original calendar spot. Now, that&#8217;s definitely a win-win! While the winning purse of the Daytona 500 is already a stuff of legends, sitting atop with the largest return, the trophy being awarded to the victors isn&#8217;t any less prized either. Called the Harley J Earl trophy, the prize has been named after legendary automobile designer, Harley Earl, who was also a close friend of Bill France Sr and a General Motors executive back in the day. Earl is most significantly known for being the Father of the Corvette. He has also been credited for designing the Firebird I prototype. The Daytona 500 race is full of prestige and perks for sure. One other aspect that the race victor gets to experience is their car being showcased at the Daytona 500 experience, for one year in its race-winning condition. For the uninitiated, the Daytona 500 Experience is a museum and gallery situated next to the Daytona International Speedway. Teilnehmerfeld der Daytona 500, v.li.: Martin Truex Jr., Tony Stewart, Kurt Busch, Jimmie Johnson, David Ragan, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Clint Bowyer, Carl Edwards, Brian Vickers und David Stremme &#8211; (ZUMAse4) Highlights of the Daytona 500 The inaugural Daytona 500 race in 1959 was won by Richard Petty&#8217;s father, the legendary Lee Petty. The patriarch of the NASCAR royalty family clinched victory driving a 1959 Oldsmobile for Newton Chappell at the inaugural event outperforming Johnny Beauchamp. Charley Griffith, representing Red Bank, finished P3, while Cotton Owens and Joe Weatherly wrapped up the Top-5 positions. &nbsp; Lee Petty&#8217;s son isn&#8217;t much far behind on the Daytona 500 record book either. With seven wins, Richard Petty sits atop the most-wins list at the venue. What makes his feat even more legendary is the fact that Petty managed to clinch four of those titles in a single decade, in 1971, 1973, 1974 and 1979. The rest of his victories came in 1964, 1966 and 1981. While the initial years of the Daytona 500 didn&#8217;t see much vehicle policing, it soon became apparent that certain rules and restrictions would have to be put in place. One of the biggest instances of a change came in 1988 when former stock car racing driver and NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Allison&#8217;s car went airborne and hit the catch fence at 200 mph at Talladega in May, the previous year. As a result, restrictor plates were made mandatory in hopes that they would stunt speed, which in turn would stop vehicles from going airborne. Speaking of Bobby Allison, he also became the oldest driver to win the race at 50 years, 2 months and 11 days, in 1988. On the other hand, Trevor Bayne is the youngest Daytona 500 winner. Bayne was 20 years and 1 day old when he won the event in 2011. Another revamp that hit NASCAR and the Daytona 500 was during the 50th anniversary of the Daytona 500 race, when &#8216;Cars of Tomorrow&#8217; debuted for the first time in the stock car racing circuit. While the name might throw some people off, &#8216;Cars of Tomorrow&#8217; simply entailed that the same roll cage, frame and body would be used in all kinds of race tracks as opposed to how crew members would need to build different cars for different tracks like superspeedways, road courses and short tracks. The Daytona 500, being such a grand event, has often been associated with high-profile names. In a bid to make the event even more exciting, every year, the organizers bring in popular figures to serve as a Grand Marshal. While &#8216;Captain America&#8217; famed Chris Evans graced the event in 2014, Nicholas cage stopped by in 2007. Even former US presidents Donald Trump and George W Busch served as the event&#8217;s grand marshal in 2020 and 2004, respectively. Â Qualifying Format of the Daytona 500 Currently, the Daytona 500 sees 40 cars competing, out of which 36 sports belong to drivers whose teams have their own charters. The rest of the 4 spots, which are referred to as open cars and constitute teams that do not own a charter. In its 65 year history, the Daytona 500 has had many revamps to its qualifying format. From two timed laps, the better of two laps, to the average of two laps, the crown jewel race has explored several avenues to decide its starting grid. However, what stuck and is currently in place is a two-race qualifying. The first race is a single-car qualifying where each driver takes up one lap. The Top 10 drivers from that round advance to the second round where their order in the main event starting grid is determined. The single-car runs decide the front row of the Daytona 500. They also decide the lineup for the qualifying races also referred to asÂ &#8220;the duels&#8221;.Â The starting grid is eventually decided on the basis of the duels. The Black Sunday of the Daytona 500 The Daytona 500 was perhaps one of Dale Earnhardt&#8216;s greatest achievements. After chasing an elusive win at the track for about two decades of his career, the driver finally succeeded in finish P1 in 1998. However, just three years later, the same race would claim his life. It all happened on February 18, 2001, when the driver was competing in the final lap of the race. The driver slammed head-first into the retaining wall after contact with Ken Schrader and Sterling Marlin. The driver had suffered from a basilar skull fracture and had died instantly upon contact. Earnardt&#8217;s death triggered a wave of safety improvements in stock cars and are seen even today. US PRESSWIRE Sports-Historical Unknown date Daytona Beach, FL, USA: FILE PHOTO NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Winston Cup Series driver Dale Earnhardt Sr 3 waits in his car in the garage area at the Daytona International Speedway. Daytona Beach Florida UNITED STATES, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xUSAxTODAYxSportsx 5145564Image Credits &#8211; Imago &nbsp; The changes of the name of the Daytona 500 The Daytona 500 has seen a plethora of name changes till date. While the first-ever edition of the race was called the 1959 First 500 Mile NASCAR International Sweepstakes at Daytona, the name was changed the very next year to the Inaugural 500 Mile International Sweepstakes. The race, then, went on to be known as the Daytona 500 by STP from 1991 to 1993. On the year of Dale Earnhardt&#8217;s passing in 2001, it was known as the Daytona 500 by Dodge. In 2007, a new name was coined yet again and this time, the race was called Daytona 500 by Toyota. From 1961 to 1990, 1994 to 2000 and from 2002 to 2006, the race was called Daytona 500 and since 2008, that&#8217;s the very name that has stuck around. &nbsp; &nbsp;

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<h2 style="text-align: center"><b>The Daytona 500 2024</b></h2>
<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong>What is the Daytona 500?</strong></h2>
For any NASCAR fan, the Daytona 500 race holds a special place in their hearts. The most prestigious race in the Cup Series, a win at the revered race bestows limitless repute and honor to its victor. Often referred to as the unofficial "birthplace of speed", Daytona Beach, where the race has been held for over six decades, has a long and storied history. Currently, it features on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule as one of the four crown-jewel races and also features the highest winning prize among all Cup races.
<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong>Why is the Daytona 500 called the Great American Race?</strong></h2>
As one of the most iconic spectator sports events in America, the Daytona 500 definitely takes the cake when it comes to being NASCAR's crÃ¨me de la crÃ¨me. Throughout history, the event has often been compared to the Super-Bowl, the crown jewel of the NFL. However, many NASCAR enthusiasts haven't been too keen about that description and have placed the crown-jewel race way above the Super Bowl.

The race is also called the 'The Great American Race' and given the storied history of the Daytona International Speedway and its roots in racing, the moniker is surely a well-deserved one.
<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong>When is the Daytona 500 2024?</strong></h2>
The 2024 Daytona 500 is set to be held on <strong>February 18, Sunday</strong> at<strong> 7:30pm GMT/2:30pm ET</strong>.
<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong>What is the format of the Daytona 500?</strong></h2>
In its 65 year history, the Daytona 500 has had many revamps to its qualifying format. From two timed laps, the better of two laps, to the average of two laps, the crown jewel race has explored several avenues to decide its starting grid. However, what stuck and is currently in place is a two-race qualifying. The first race is a single-car qualifying where each driver takes up one lap. The Top 10 drivers from that round advance to the second round where their order in the main event starting grid is determined. The single-car runs decide the front row of the Daytona 500. They also decide the lineup for the qualifying races also referred to asÂ <em>"the duels".Â </em>The starting grid is eventually decided on the basis of the duels.

[caption id="attachment_1948603" align="alignnone" width="1800"]<img class="wp-image-1948603 size-full" src="https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/imago0004296892h.jpg" alt="Daytona 500" width="1800" height="1200" /> Teilnehmerfeld der Daytona 500, v.li.: Martin Truex Jr., Tony Stewart, Kurt Busch, Jimmie Johnson, David Ragan, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Clint Bowyer, Carl Edwards, Brian Vickers und David Stremme - (ZUMAse4)[/caption]
<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong>Who are the past winners of the Daytona 500?</strong></h2>
The inaugural Daytona 500 race in 1959 was won by Richard Petty's father, the legendary Lee Petty. The patriarch of the NASCAR royalty family clinched victory driving a 1959 Oldsmobile for Newton Chappell at the inaugural event outperforming Johnny Beauchamp. Charley Griffith, representing Red Bank, finished P3, while Cotton Owens and Joe Weatherly wrapped up the Top-5 positions.

Lee Petty's son isn't much far behind on the Daytona 500 record book either. With seven wins, Richard Petty sits atop the most-wins list at the venue. What makes his feat even more legendary is the fact that Petty managed to clinch four of those titles in a single decade, in 1971, 1973, 1974 and 1979. The rest of his victories came in 1964, 1966 and 1981.

[caption id="attachment_859313" align="alignnone" width="1920"]<img class="wp-image-859313 size-full" src="https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/GettyImages-1018179224.jpg" alt="Richard Petty" width="1920" height="1280" /> BRISTOL, TN - AUGUST 17: Team owner, Richard Petty, stands on pit road during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 17, 2018 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)[/caption]

Following 'The King' on the most-wins tally is Carl Yarborough with four wins in 1968, 1977, 1983 and 1984. The current vice-chairman of Hendrick Motorsports, Jeff Gordon also won the Daytona 500 three times in 1997, 1999 and 2005. The Pied Piper of Daytona, <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/dale-earnhardt-jr/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dale Earnhardt Jr</a> and seven-time Cup Series Champion <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/jimmie-johnson/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jimmie Johnson</a> won the race on two occasions in 2004 and 2014, and 2006 and 2013, respectively.

Among the current batch of drivers, the one who clinched the most victory lane visits is <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/denny-hamlin/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Denny Hamlin</a> with three wins, two of which were back-to-back (2016, 2019 and 2020). However, many talented drivers are yet to get their hands on the elusive title that includes two-time Cup Series champions <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/kyle-busch/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kyle Busch</a> and <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/kyle-larson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kyle Larson</a>.
<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong>What is the eligibility of the Daytona 500 2024?</strong></h2>
Currently, the Daytona 500 sees 40 cars competing, out of which 36 sports belong to drivers whose teams have their own charters. The rest of the 4 spots, which are referred to as open cars and constitute teams that do not own a charter.
<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong>The entry list for the Daytona 500 2024?</strong></h2>
The four non-charter teams that have announced their participation in the Daytona 500 2024 are:
<ul>
 	<li><span class="LinkEnhancement">David Ragan - </span>No. 60 Ford Mustang for RFK Racing</li>
 	<li>Anthony Alfredo - No. 62 Chevrolet Camaro for Beard Motorsports</li>
 	<li>Jimmie Johnson - the No. 84 Toyota Camry for Legacy Motor Club</li>
 	<li>BJ McLeod - No. 78 Chevrolet Camaro for Live Fast Motorsports</li>
</ul>
The charter teams that will participate in the Daytona 500 2024 are:
<table style="border-collapse: collapse;width: 53.0357%;height: 944px">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 29.2857%;height: 24px">
<h3>Owner-Manufacturer</h3>
</td>
<td style="width: 23.75%;height: 24px">
<h3 style="text-align: center">Driver-Car Number</h3>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 144px">
<td style="width: 29.2857%;height: 144px;text-align: center"><strong>Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet</strong></td>
<td style="width: 23.75%;height: 144px;text-align: center">No. 5 - Kyle Larson<br role="presentation" data-uw-rm-sr="" />No. 9 - Chase Elliott<br role="presentation" data-uw-rm-sr="" />No. 24 - William Byron<br role="presentation" data-uw-rm-sr="" />No. 48 - Alex Bowman</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 96px">
<td style="width: 29.2857%;height: 96px;text-align: center"><strong>Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota</strong></td>
<td style="width: 23.75%;height: 96px;text-align: center">No. 11 - Denny Hamlin<br role="presentation" data-uw-rm-sr="" />No. 19 - Martin Truex Jr.<br role="presentation" data-uw-rm-sr="" />No. 20 - Christopher Bell<br role="presentation" data-uw-rm-sr="" />No. 54 - Ty Gibbs</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 96px">
<td style="width: 29.2857%;height: 96px;text-align: center"><strong>Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford</strong></td>
<td style="width: 23.75%;height: 96px;text-align: center">No. 4 - Josh Berry (R)<br role="presentation" data-uw-rm-sr="" />No. 10 - Noah Gragson<br role="presentation" data-uw-rm-sr="" />No. 14 - Chase Briscoe<br role="presentation" data-uw-rm-sr="" />No. 41 - Ryan Preece</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 72px">
<td style="width: 29.2857%;height: 72px;text-align: center"><strong>Team Penske, Ford</strong></td>
<td style="width: 23.75%;height: 72px;text-align: center">No. 2 - Austin Cindric<br role="presentation" data-uw-rm-sr="" />No. 12 - Ryan Blaney<br role="presentation" data-uw-rm-sr="" />No. 22 - Joey Logano</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 48px">
<td style="width: 29.2857%;height: 48px;text-align: center"><strong>Richard Childress Racing, Chevrolet</strong></td>
<td style="width: 23.75%;height: 48px;text-align: center">No. 3 - Austin Dillon<br role="presentation" data-uw-rm-sr="" />No. 8 - Kyle Busch</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 48px">
<td style="width: 29.2857%;height: 48px;text-align: center"><strong>Kaulig Racing, Chevrolet</strong></td>
<td style="width: 23.75%;height: 48px;text-align: center">No. 16 - A.J. Allmendinger<br role="presentation" data-uw-rm-sr="" />No. 31 - Daniel Hemric</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 48px">
<td style="width: 29.2857%;height: 48px;text-align: center"><strong>Legacy Motor Club, Toyota</strong></td>
<td style="width: 23.75%;height: 48px;text-align: center">No. 42 - John Hunter Nemechek<br role="presentation" data-uw-rm-sr="" />No. 43 - Erik Jones</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 48px">
<td style="width: 29.2857%;height: 48px;text-align: center"><strong>RFK Racing, Ford</strong></td>
<td style="width: 23.75%;height: 48px;text-align: center">No. 6 - Brad Keselowski<br role="presentation" data-uw-rm-sr="" />No. 17 - Chris Buescher</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 48px">
<td style="width: 29.2857%;height: 48px;text-align: center"><strong>Trackhouse Racing Team, Chevrolet</strong></td>
<td style="width: 23.75%;height: 48px;text-align: center">No. 1 - Ross Chastain<br role="presentation" data-uw-rm-sr="" />No. 99 - Daniel Suarez</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 48px">
<td style="width: 29.2857%;height: 48px;text-align: center"><strong>23XI Racing, Toyota</strong></td>
<td style="width: 23.75%;height: 48px;text-align: center">No. 23 - Bubba Wallace<br role="presentation" data-uw-rm-sr="" />No. 45 - Tyler Reddick</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 72px">
<td style="width: 29.2857%;height: 72px;text-align: center"><strong>Spire Motorsports, Chevrolet</strong></td>
<td style="width: 23.75%;height: 72px;text-align: center">No. 7 - Corey LaJoie<br role="presentation" data-uw-rm-sr="" />No. 71 - Zane Smith<br role="presentation" data-uw-rm-sr="" />No. 77 - Carson Hocevar (R)</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 56px">
<td style="width: 29.2857%;height: 56px;text-align: center"><strong>Front Row Motorsports, Ford</strong></td>
<td style="width: 23.75%;height: 56px;text-align: center">No. 34 - Michael McDowell<br role="presentation" data-uw-rm-sr="" />No. 38 - Todd Gilliland</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 29.2857%;height: 24px;text-align: center"><strong>JTG Daugherty Racing, Chevrolet</strong></td>
<td style="width: 23.75%;height: 24px;text-align: center">No. 47 - Ricky Stenhouse Jr.</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 48px">
<td style="width: 29.2857%;height: 48px;text-align: center"><strong>Rick Ware Racing, Ford</strong></td>
<td style="width: 23.75%;height: 48px;text-align: center">No. 15 - Riley Herbst<br role="presentation" data-uw-rm-sr="" />No. 51 - Justin Haley</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 24px">
<td style="width: 29.2857%;height: 24px;text-align: center"><strong>Wood Brothers Racing, Ford</strong></td>
<td style="width: 23.75%;height: 24px;text-align: center">No. 21 - Harrison Burton</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong>The Grand Marshall and the Pre-race show at the Daytona 500, 2024</strong></h2>
The 2024 Daytona 500 will be a star-studded affair. This year, Hollywood actor and professional wrestler, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson is set to perform the duties of the Grand Marshal.

As for the pre-race show, Trackhouse Racing Team co-owner Pitbull will light up the stage before the iconic race commences.<em> â€œItâ€™s an honor to once again be part of the Great American Race, this time performing at the Daytona 500,â€</em> Pitbull had said after the announcement was made.

[caption id="attachment_516696" align="alignnone" width="1920"]<img class="wp-image-516696 size-full" src="https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/20210116150513/GettyImages-1211216417.jpg" alt="Pitbull prior to the NASCAR Daytona 500" width="1920" height="1280" /> AVONDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 08: Rapper Pitbull performs prior to the NASCAR Cup Series FanShield 500 at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)[/caption]
<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong>Tickets for the Daytona 500 2024</strong></h2>
For the first time in recent history, the tickets for the Daytona 500 race have been sold out. However, fans can still get a chance to witness the coveted race in person by buying reserved grandstands seats at the event's official ticketing partner, seatgeek.com. People looking for budget-friendly options have various alternatives, with the lowest being Â $139 each for 1-4 tickets. For premium VIP packages, ticket prices range from $506 to $706 for 1-6 tickets. An important point to note is that the VIP packages will be inclusive of $25 food/beverage credit included with each ticket, FanZone passes featuring pre-race access to the track, and one Daytona 500 gift bundle per ticket holder.
<h2 style="text-align: center"><strong>Broadcasting of the Daytona 500</strong></h2>
The Daytona 500 race will be broadcast live on Fox and the FOX Sports App. Users who do not have a cable connection can also watch the race on live streaming platforms that include FOX, such as YouTube TV, Hulu+, fuboTV and Sling TV.

The Daytona 500 2024 What is the Daytona 500? For any NASCAR fan, the Daytona 500 race holds a special place in their hearts. The most prestigious race in the Cup Series, a win at the revered race bestows limitless repute and honor to its victor. Often referred to as the unofficial &#8220;birthplace of speed&#8221;, Daytona Beach, where the race has been held for over six decades, has a long and storied history. Currently, it features on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule as one of the four crown-jewel races and also features the highest winning prize among all Cup races. Why is the Daytona 500 called the Great American Race? As one of the most iconic spectator sports events in America, the Daytona 500 definitely takes the cake when it comes to being NASCAR&#8217;s crÃ¨me de la crÃ¨me. Throughout history, the event has often been compared to the Super-Bowl, the crown jewel of the NFL. However, many NASCAR enthusiasts haven&#8217;t been too keen about that description and have placed the crown-jewel race way above the Super Bowl. The race is also called the &#8216;The Great American Race&#8217; and given the storied history of the Daytona International Speedway and its roots in racing, the moniker is surely a well-deserved one. When is the Daytona 500 2024? The 2024 Daytona 500 is set to be held on February 18, Sunday at 7:30pm GMT/2:30pm ET. What is the format of the Daytona 500? In its 65 year history, the Daytona 500 has had many revamps to its qualifying format. From two timed laps, the better of two laps, to the average of two laps, the crown jewel race has explored several avenues to decide its starting grid. However, what stuck and is currently in place is a two-race qualifying. The first race is a single-car qualifying where each driver takes up one lap. The Top 10 drivers from that round advance to the second round where their order in the main event starting grid is determined. The single-car runs decide the front row of the Daytona 500. They also decide the lineup for the qualifying races also referred to asÂ &#8220;the duels&#8221;.Â The starting grid is eventually decided on the basis of the duels. Teilnehmerfeld der Daytona 500, v.li.: Martin Truex Jr., Tony Stewart, Kurt Busch, Jimmie Johnson, David Ragan, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Clint Bowyer, Carl Edwards, Brian Vickers und David Stremme &#8211; (ZUMAse4) Who are the past winners of the Daytona 500? The inaugural Daytona 500 race in 1959 was won by Richard Petty&#8217;s father, the legendary Lee Petty. The patriarch of the NASCAR royalty family clinched victory driving a 1959 Oldsmobile for Newton Chappell at the inaugural event outperforming Johnny Beauchamp. Charley Griffith, representing Red Bank, finished P3, while Cotton Owens and Joe Weatherly wrapped up the Top-5 positions. Lee Petty&#8217;s son isn&#8217;t much far behind on the Daytona 500 record book either. With seven wins, Richard Petty sits atop the most-wins list at the venue. What makes his feat even more legendary is the fact that Petty managed to clinch four of those titles in a single decade, in 1971, 1973, 1974 and 1979. The rest of his victories came in 1964, 1966 and 1981. BRISTOL, TN &#8211; AUGUST 17: Team owner, Richard Petty, stands on pit road during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 17, 2018 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) Following &#8216;The King&#8217; on the most-wins tally is Carl Yarborough with four wins in 1968, 1977, 1983 and 1984. The current vice-chairman of Hendrick Motorsports, Jeff Gordon also won the Daytona 500 three times in 1997, 1999 and 2005. The Pied Piper of Daytona, Dale Earnhardt Jr and seven-time Cup Series Champion Jimmie Johnson won the race on two occasions in 2004 and 2014, and 2006 and 2013, respectively. Among the current batch of drivers, the one who clinched the most victory lane visits is Denny Hamlin with three wins, two of which were back-to-back (2016, 2019 and 2020). However, many talented drivers are yet to get their hands on the elusive title that includes two-time Cup Series champions Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson. What is the eligibility of the Daytona 500 2024? Currently, the Daytona 500 sees 40 cars competing, out of which 36 sports belong to drivers whose teams have their own charters. The rest of the 4 spots, which are referred to as open cars and constitute teams that do not own a charter. The entry list for the Daytona 500 2024? The four non-charter teams that have announced their participation in the Daytona 500 2024 are: David Ragan &#8211; No. 60 Ford Mustang for RFK Racing Anthony Alfredo &#8211; No. 62 Chevrolet Camaro for Beard Motorsports Jimmie Johnson &#8211; the No. 84 Toyota Camry for Legacy Motor Club BJ McLeod &#8211; No. 78 Chevrolet Camaro for Live Fast Motorsports The charter teams that will participate in the Daytona 500 2024 are:   Owner-Manufacturer  Driver-Car Number  Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet No. 5 &#8211; Kyle LarsonNo. 9 &#8211; Chase ElliottNo. 24 &#8211; William ByronNo. 48 &#8211; Alex Bowman  Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota No. 11 &#8211; Denny HamlinNo. 19 &#8211; Martin Truex Jr.No. 20 &#8211; Christopher BellNo. 54 &#8211; Ty Gibbs  Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford No. 4 &#8211; Josh Berry (R)No. 10 &#8211; Noah GragsonNo. 14 &#8211; Chase BriscoeNo. 41 &#8211; Ryan Preece  Team Penske, Ford No. 2 &#8211; Austin CindricNo. 12 &#8211; Ryan BlaneyNo. 22 &#8211; Joey Logano  Richard Childress Racing, Chevrolet No. 3 &#8211; Austin DillonNo. 8 &#8211; Kyle Busch  Kaulig Racing, Chevrolet No. 16 &#8211; A.J. AllmendingerNo. 31 &#8211; Daniel Hemric  Legacy Motor Club, Toyota No. 42 &#8211; John Hunter NemechekNo. 43 &#8211; Erik Jones  RFK Racing, Ford No. 6 &#8211; Brad KeselowskiNo. 17 &#8211; Chris Buescher  Trackhouse Racing Team, Chevrolet No. 1 &#8211; Ross ChastainNo. 99 &#8211; Daniel Suarez  23XI Racing, Toyota No. 23 &#8211; Bubba WallaceNo. 45 &#8211; Tyler Reddick  Spire Motorsports, Chevrolet No. 7 &#8211; Corey LaJoieNo. 71 &#8211; Zane SmithNo. 77 &#8211; Carson Hocevar (R)  Front Row Motorsports, Ford No. 34 &#8211; Michael McDowellNo. 38 &#8211; Todd Gilliland  JTG Daugherty Racing, Chevrolet No. 47 &#8211; Ricky Stenhouse Jr.  Rick Ware Racing, Ford No. 15 &#8211; Riley HerbstNo. 51 &#8211; Justin Haley  Wood Brothers Racing, Ford No. 21 &#8211; Harrison Burton  The Grand Marshall and the Pre-race show at the Daytona 500, 2024 The 2024 Daytona 500 will be a star-studded affair. This year, Hollywood actor and professional wrestler, Dwayne &#8216;The Rock&#8217; Johnson is set to perform the duties of the Grand Marshal. As for the pre-race show, Trackhouse Racing Team co-owner Pitbull will light up the stage before the iconic race commences. â€œItâ€™s an honor to once again be part of the Great American Race, this time performing at the Daytona 500,â€ Pitbull had said after the announcement was made. AVONDALE, ARIZONA &#8211; MARCH 08: Rapper Pitbull performs prior to the NASCAR Cup Series FanShield 500 at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) Tickets for the Daytona 500 2024 For the first time in recent history, the tickets for the Daytona 500 race have been sold out. However, fans can still get a chance to witness the coveted race in person by buying reserved grandstands seats at the event&#8217;s official ticketing partner, seatgeek.com. People looking for budget-friendly options have various alternatives, with the lowest being Â $139 each for 1-4 tickets. For premium VIP packages, ticket prices range from $506 to $706 for 1-6 tickets. An important point to note is that the VIP packages will be inclusive of $25 food/beverage credit included with each ticket, FanZone passes featuring pre-race access to the track, and one Daytona 500 gift bundle per ticket holder. Broadcasting of the Daytona 500 The Daytona 500 race will be broadcast live on Fox and the FOX Sports App. Users who do not have a cable connection can also watch the race on live streaming platforms that include FOX, such as YouTube TV, Hulu+, fuboTV and Sling TV.

<h2 style="text-align: center"><b>Sasha Banks: 2024 Net Worth, Stats, Salary, Husband and More</b></h2>
Mercedes Kestner-Varnado, better known as Sasha Banks, is a female professional wrestler currently working as a free agent. There have been strong rumors of the professional wrestler signing a contract soon either with WWE or AEW. She established herself as one of the top stars of the division during her time in WWE owing to her spectacular performance in the SmackDown brand.
<h2 style="text-align: center"><b>Sasha Banks' early life</b></h2>
Sasha Banks was born on January 26, 1992, in Fairfield, California to Reo Varnado and Judith Varnardo. Sasha takes up African-American ethnicity from her dad while her mother hailed from Germany. The professional wrestler and her brother Joshua Kaestner Varando were mostly raised by her mother as their father abandoned them during childhood. Moreover, Banks had a rather tough time growing up as she constantly moved places because of her autistic sibling. She mostly completed her education via an online medium.

[caption id="attachment_2058874" align="aligncenter" width="1600"]<img class="wp-image-2058874 size-full" src="https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/sasha-banks-imago.jpg" alt="Sasha Banks" width="1600" height="1066" /> Image Credits: Imago[/caption]

Meanwhile, one surprising thing about the superstar is that she has good connections in the music industry as Snoop Dogg, Daz Dillinger, Brandy Norwood, and Ray. J are her cousins from her father's side.
<h2 style="text-align: center"><b>Sasha Banksâ€™ husband and children</b></h2>
Sasha Banks found love and her life partner in the former wrestler Sarath Ton, who was famous by his ring name Mikaze. The two met each other in 2010, as they were a part of the autonomous wrestling circuit and connected over their love for wrestling gear. As of now, Ton works as a costume designer in WWE and the couple does not have any kids.
<h2 class="jsx-cb26a7af5694ead9" style="text-align: center"><b>Sasha Banksâ€™ net worth 2024</b></h2>
As per Celebrity Net Worth, Banks has a net worth of $4 million. Her WWE contract offered her a salary of $250,000 per year. Ever since the success of the main event of the WrestleMania 37 match between Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair, the company gave Banks several chances to shine on the main roster and hence WWE increased her salary from $180,000 to $250,000. As of now, the star is earning $100,000 for every appearance as a free agent.

The brands also make sure to benefit from Sasha's social media following and thus she gets paid a handsome amount of $13,543 for every sponsorship post. Apart from endorsing brands like First We Feast and Kanndela, Banks also earns well through other sources of income like modeling and acting. She made he debut in Tinseltown with the series <em>The Mandalorian.Â </em>
<h2 style="text-align: center"><b>Sasha Banksâ€™ career timeline</b></h2>
Sasha started her training as a professional wrestler back in 2008. She performed for Chaotic Wrestling and debuted in an inter-gender tag team match. The ride was long and hard for her as she continued to lose all her initial matches, with a WWE run seeming very far. However, she exceeded all expectations. Her immaculate in-ring skills, along with her infectious energy and fire-spitting promise, quickly made her a valuable commodity. She even won the Chaotic Wrestling Women's Championship.

In 2011, NXT, the developmental brand of WWE, was looking to rebuild itself from scratch with some tough wrestlers and signed Sasha Banks. Her first-ever WWE match was against fan-favorite Paige. Even though she lost, she captured the attention of the fans. Her NXT run coincided with a never-before-seen elevation of women's wrestling in WWE. Many credit her along with <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/charlotte-flair">Charlotte Flair</a>, Bayley, and <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/becky-lynch">Becky Lynch</a> for ushering in the women's revolution.

Sasha had a storied rivalry with Charlotte Flair going from best friends to worst enemies. She defeated Flair to become the NXT Women's Champion, immediately making clear that <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/triple-h/">Triple H</a> had big plans for her career. Her "The Boss" persona resonated with the fans and represented the modern female professional wrestler.

[caption id="attachment_2092390" align="aligncenter" width="1920"]<img class="wp-image-2092390 size-full" src="https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/Sasha-Banks-Neutral-Triple-H-sad.jpg" alt="Sasha Banks Neutral Triple H sad" width="1920" height="1280" /> Image Credits: Imago[/caption]

When Sasha finally left NXT, she did it in the best fashion possible. She lost to Bayley in a match that many call the best women's wrestling match in WWE history. After dropping the NXT Championship, she made her main roster debut on Raw as part of a stable with Tamina and Naomi.

She was part of the batch of wrestlers introduced by Stephanie McMahon, who revolutionized main-roster wrestling. Sasha would continue her fine run on the main roster again, feuding with Charlotte where the two even faced off in the first-ever women's Hell in a Cell match. She also had notable rivalries with Bayley and Becky Lynch on the main roster.

Sasha Banks entered a profitable partnership with Bayley in 2020, turning heel shockingly. She then won every belt in the WWE Women's division with Bayley, and the duo called themselves the 'Golden Role Models'. After a dramatic deterioration, Bayley turned on Banks, igniting a heated rivalry between the two. Sasha Banks came out on top after a thrilling match at Hell in a Cell, capturing the SmackDown Women's Championship from Bayley.

At present, she is working as a free agent and is expected to join either WWE or AEW.
<h2 style="text-align: center"><b>Sasha Banksâ€™ partnerships and endorsements</b></h2>
Sasha Banks enjoys a good social media following and thus it should come as no surprise that she earns a good amount of money by influencing people. The wrestler charges $13,543 per sponsorship post and a handful of brands that she endorses include the likes of First We Feast and Kanndela. She is also the face of WWE video games and merchandise.
<h2 style="text-align: center"><b>Sasha Banksâ€™ wrestling career stats</b></h2>
The one-time NXT Women's Champion Sasha Banks has featured in a total of 966 wrestling games in her career so far, scoring a win in 552 matches and losing 393 games. 21 games ended in a draw while she also recorded a winning and losing percentage of 57.1% and 40.7% respectively.
<h2 style="text-align: center"><b>Sasha Banksâ€™ major achievementsÂ </b></h2>
Sasha Banks established herself as a true representative of the new era of women's wrestling in WWE as she formed a part of the first-ever female wrestling match in Saudi Arabia against Alexa Bliss. She has several achievements to her name including:
<ul>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400">5 WWE/WWE Raw Women's Championship</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400">1 WWE SmackDown Women's Championship</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400">3 WWE Women's Tag Team Championship (2 with Bayley, 1 with Naomi)</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400">1 NXT Women's Championship</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400">1 IWGP Women's Championship (New Japan Pro Wrestling)</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400">1 CW Women's Championship (Chaotic Wrestling)</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400">1 IWE Women's Championship (Independent Wrestling Entertainment</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400">1 RWC No Limitz Championship (Ring Wars Carolina)</li>
</ul>
<h2 class="jsx-cb26a7af5694ead9" style="text-align: center"><b>Sasha Banksâ€™ charity and foundation</b></h2>
Sasha Banks has been a key part of WWE's partnership with the Special Olympics. She has a younger brother who suffers from autism, fuelling her desire to make a difference for the cause. She also supports the charities sponsored by WWE, including Make-A-Wish and Connor's Cure.

In 2017, the professional wrestler did her part to help the Houston community following the devastation of Hurricane Harvey by joining hands with other WWE stars like Finn Balor, Samoa Joe, and Alicia Fox to make the medical kits. Moreover, in December 2022, Banks did a charity livestream alongside her friend Bayley, hosted by Damage CTRL leader, to help the Family Giving Tree organization.
<h2 style="text-align: center"><b>Sasha Banksâ€™ house</b></h2>
Banks is currently living in a beautiful house in Fairfield, California. Though not much information is available about the home, it is believed that it is a luxurious mansion and is equipped with a private swimming pool and multiple bedrooms and bathrooms.
<h2 style="text-align: center"><b>Sasha Banksâ€™ cars</b></h2>
Just like many other WWE superstars, Sasha Banks also harbors a taste for luxury cars. She is the owner of three extravagant cars, including a Jaguar F-Type Convertible worth $78,000, a Chevrolet Camaro worth $38,000, and a Volvo V90 Cross Country worth $55,000.
<h2 class="jsx-cb26a7af5694ead9" style="text-align: center">How to contact Sasha Banks</h2>
<table style="width: 374px">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 76.8125px"><span style="font-weight: 400">Instagram</span></td>
<td style="width: 283.587px"><a class="jsx-2b55705d932ea6e9" href="https://instagram.com/sashabankswwe?igshid=z34y3rlizrr6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@sashabankswwe</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 76.8125px"><span style="font-weight: 400">Twitter</span></td>
<td style="width: 283.587px"><a class="jsx-2b55705d932ea6e9" href="https://twitter.com/SashaBanksWWE?s=08" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@SashaBanksWWE</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><b>Personal Information:</b></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">Full Name</span></td>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">Mercedes Justine Kaestner-Varnado</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">Popular Name</span></td>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">Sasha Banks, Mercedes Mone, The Boss</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">Date Of Birth</span></td>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">January 26, 1992</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">Birth Place</span></td>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">Fairfield, CA</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">Age</span></td>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">32</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">Height</span></td>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">5ft 5 inch</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">Weight</span></td>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">52 kg (115 lb)</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">Parents</span></td>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400"> Reo and Judith Varnado</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">Siblings</span></td>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">Joshua</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">Nationality</span></td>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">American</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">Ethnicity</span></td>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">German and African</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">Net Worth</span></td>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">$4Million</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">Spouse</span></td>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">Sarath Ton</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">Relationship/Marital Status</span></td>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">Married</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">Children</span></td>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">Not yet</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">Profession</span></td>
<td><span style="font-weight: 400">Professional Wrestler</span></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

Sasha Banks

Sasha Banks: 2024 Net Worth, Stats, Salary, Husband and More Mercedes Kestner-Varnado, better known as Sasha Banks, is a female professional wrestler currently working as a free agent. There have been strong rumors of the professional wrestler signing a contract soon either with WWE or AEW. She established herself as one of the top stars of the division during her time in WWE owing to her spectacular performance in the SmackDown brand. Sasha Banks&#8217; early life Sasha Banks was born on January 26, 1992, in Fairfield, California to Reo Varnado and Judith Varnardo. Sasha takes up African-American ethnicity from her dad while her mother hailed from Germany. The professional wrestler and her brother Joshua Kaestner Varando were mostly raised by her mother as their father abandoned them during childhood. Moreover, Banks had a rather tough time growing up as she constantly moved places because of her autistic sibling. She mostly completed her education via an online medium. Image Credits: Imago Meanwhile, one surprising thing about the superstar is that she has good connections in the music industry as Snoop Dogg, Daz Dillinger, Brandy Norwood, and Ray. J are her cousins from her father&#8217;s side. Sasha Banksâ€™ husband and children Sasha Banks found love and her life partner in the former wrestler Sarath Ton, who was famous by his ring name Mikaze. The two met each other in 2010, as they were a part of the autonomous wrestling circuit and connected over their love for wrestling gear. As of now, Ton works as a costume designer in WWE and the couple does not have any kids. Sasha Banksâ€™ net worth 2024 As per Celebrity Net Worth, Banks has a net worth of $4 million. Her WWE contract offered her a salary of $250,000 per year. Ever since the success of the main event of the WrestleMania 37 match between Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair, the company gave Banks several chances to shine on the main roster and hence WWE increased her salary from $180,000 to $250,000. As of now, the star is earning $100,000 for every appearance as a free agent. The brands also make sure to benefit from Sasha&#8217;s social media following and thus she gets paid a handsome amount of $13,543 for every sponsorship post. Apart from endorsing brands like First We Feast and Kanndela, Banks also earns well through other sources of income like modeling and acting. She made he debut in Tinseltown with the series The Mandalorian.Â  Sasha Banksâ€™ career timeline Sasha started her training as a professional wrestler back in 2008. She performed for Chaotic Wrestling and debuted in an inter-gender tag team match. The ride was long and hard for her as she continued to lose all her initial matches, with a WWE run seeming very far. However, she exceeded all expectations. Her immaculate in-ring skills, along with her infectious energy and fire-spitting promise, quickly made her a valuable commodity. She even won the Chaotic Wrestling Women&#8217;s Championship. In 2011, NXT, the developmental brand of WWE, was looking to rebuild itself from scratch with some tough wrestlers and signed Sasha Banks. Her first-ever WWE match was against fan-favorite Paige. Even though she lost, she captured the attention of the fans. Her NXT run coincided with a never-before-seen elevation of women&#8217;s wrestling in WWE. Many credit her along with Charlotte Flair, Bayley, and Becky Lynch for ushering in the women&#8217;s revolution. Sasha had a storied rivalry with Charlotte Flair going from best friends to worst enemies. She defeated Flair to become the NXT Women&#8217;s Champion, immediately making clear that Triple H had big plans for her career. Her &#8220;The Boss&#8221; persona resonated with the fans and represented the modern female professional wrestler. Image Credits: Imago When Sasha finally left NXT, she did it in the best fashion possible. She lost to Bayley in a match that many call the best women&#8217;s wrestling match in WWE history. After dropping the NXT Championship, she made her main roster debut on Raw as part of a stable with Tamina and Naomi. She was part of the batch of wrestlers introduced by Stephanie McMahon, who revolutionized main-roster wrestling. Sasha would continue her fine run on the main roster again, feuding with Charlotte where the two even faced off in the first-ever women&#8217;s Hell in a Cell match. She also had notable rivalries with Bayley and Becky Lynch on the main roster. Sasha Banks entered a profitable partnership with Bayley in 2020, turning heel shockingly. She then won every belt in the WWE Women&#8217;s division with Bayley, and the duo called themselves the &#8216;Golden Role Models&#8217;. After a dramatic deterioration, Bayley turned on Banks, igniting a heated rivalry between the two. Sasha Banks came out on top after a thrilling match at Hell in a Cell, capturing the SmackDown Women&#8217;s Championship from Bayley. At present, she is working as a free agent and is expected to join either WWE or AEW. Sasha Banksâ€™ partnerships and endorsements Sasha Banks enjoys a good social media following and thus it should come as no surprise that she earns a good amount of money by influencing people. The wrestler charges $13,543 per sponsorship post and a handful of brands that she endorses include the likes of First We Feast and Kanndela. She is also the face of WWE video games and merchandise. Sasha Banksâ€™ wrestling career stats The one-time NXT Women&#8217;s Champion Sasha Banks has featured in a total of 966 wrestling games in her career so far, scoring a win in 552 matches and losing 393 games. 21 games ended in a draw while she also recorded a winning and losing percentage of 57.1% and 40.7% respectively. Sasha Banksâ€™ major achievementsÂ  Sasha Banks established herself as a true representative of the new era of women&#8217;s wrestling in WWE as she formed a part of the first-ever female wrestling match in Saudi Arabia against Alexa Bliss. She has several achievements to her name including: 5 WWE/WWE Raw Women&#8217;s Championship 1 WWE SmackDown Women&#8217;s Championship 3 WWE Women&#8217;s Tag Team Championship (2 with Bayley, 1 with Naomi) 1 NXT Women&#8217;s Championship 1 IWGP Women&#8217;s Championship (New Japan Pro Wrestling) 1 CW Women&#8217;s Championship (Chaotic Wrestling) 1 IWE Women&#8217;s Championship (Independent Wrestling Entertainment 1 RWC No Limitz Championship (Ring Wars Carolina) Sasha Banksâ€™ charity and foundation Sasha Banks has been a key part of WWE&#8217;s partnership with the Special Olympics. She has a younger brother who suffers from autism, fuelling her desire to make a difference for the cause. She also supports the charities sponsored by WWE, including Make-A-Wish and Connor&#8217;s Cure. In 2017, the professional wrestler did her part to help the Houston community following the devastation of Hurricane Harvey by joining hands with other WWE stars like Finn Balor, Samoa Joe, and Alicia Fox to make the medical kits. Moreover, in December 2022, Banks did a charity livestream alongside her friend Bayley, hosted by Damage CTRL leader, to help the Family Giving Tree organization. Sasha Banksâ€™ house Banks is currently living in a beautiful house in Fairfield, California. Though not much information is available about the home, it is believed that it is a luxurious mansion and is equipped with a private swimming pool and multiple bedrooms and bathrooms. Sasha Banksâ€™ cars Just like many other WWE superstars, Sasha Banks also harbors a taste for luxury cars. She is the owner of three extravagant cars, including a Jaguar F-Type Convertible worth $78,000, a Chevrolet Camaro worth $38,000, and a Volvo V90 Cross Country worth $55,000. How to contact Sasha Banks  Instagram @sashabankswwe  Twitter @SashaBanksWWE    Personal Information:  Full Name Mercedes Justine Kaestner-Varnado  Popular Name Sasha Banks, Mercedes Mone, The Boss  Date Of Birth January 26, 1992  Birth Place Fairfield, CA  Age 32  Height 5ft 5 inch  Weight 52 kg (115 lb)  Parents Reo and Judith Varnado  Siblings Joshua  Nationality American  Ethnicity German and African  Net Worth $4Million  Spouse Sarath Ton  Relationship/Marital Status Married  Children Not yet  Profession Professional Wrestler

“Haven’t Felt This Much Energy” – WWE Superstar Sasha Banks on Her NASCAR Daytona 500 Experience

How did the NASCAR Daytona 500 pan out?