During the NFC Championship game between the Detroit Lions and the San Francisco 49ers, the FOX Sports broadcast team shared notable news from the world of NASCAR concerning the grand marshal for the upcoming season-opening event.
Set to air the 66th edition of the Daytona 500 on February 18, FOX disclosed that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson will command the start of engines for the field of 40 racers.
Employing the famous four words that resonate in motorsports, the 51-year-old actor and professional wrestler will set the cars in motion for NASCAR’s premier event, a role he previously filled as the grand marshal for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway in April 2004, a race won by Elliott Sadler.
Adding to the excitement, it was recently announced that Grammy Award winner and Trackhouse Racing co-owner Pitbull will take the stage for the pre-race concert at the event.
The Daytona 500 serves as the official kickoff for the 2024 NASCAR Cup season, with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. returning as the defending champion. Before the main event, 36 Cup Series drivers and teams will make their way to Los Angeles for the third edition of the L.A. Clash exhibition race at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum.
Reflecting on the previous year, the 2023 Daytona 500 witnessed the command to start engines being given by several legends of the sport, commemorating NASCAR’s 75th year.
These iconic figures included Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, and Joey Logano, all of whom competed in the race, along with Richard Petty, Jeff Gordon, Bobby Allison, Bill Elliott, Dale Jarrett, and Kurt Busch.
