Mysterio named grand marshal with Johnson to serve as honorary starter for NASCAR Cup Series regular season finale
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Aug. 20, 2025) – Daytona International Speedway announced today that WWE Hall of Fame Wrestler Rey Mysterio has been named the grand marshal for the Coke Zero Sugar 400. NCAA Women’s Basketball National Champion and musician Flau’jae Johnson will serve as the honorary starter and wave the green flag for the NASCAR Cup Series regular season finale.
“We are honored to have the great WWE Hall of Fame wrestler Rey Mysterio and the multi-talented NCAA Women’s Basketball National Champion and musician Flau’jae Johnson serve as our grand marshal and honorary starter for the Coke Zero Sugar 400,” said Frank Kelleher, Daytona International Speedway President. “Rey is sure to bring his high-flying energy giving the command to start engines while Flau’jae waves the green flag with passion under the lights. Their star power will set the stage for an unforgettable night at The World Center of Racing.”
Mysterio is widely regarded as one of the greatest WWE Superstars of all time, earning numerous accolades and leaving an immeasurable impact on the world of wrestling. Throughout his decorated career with WWE, Mysterio has captured the WWE Championship, two World Heavyweight Championships, two Intercontinental Titles, three United States Titles, five Tag Team Titles, three WWE Cruiserweight Titles, and more. Mysterio began his career on the independent circuit at age 14 and signed with World Championship Wrestling in 1996. During his tenure in WCW, Mysterio helped popularize lucha libre in the United States which led to the rise of cruiserweight wrestling divisions.
“The Coke Zero Sugar 400 at DAYTONA is one of the most thrilling races in motorsports, and I’m honored to be grand marshal,” said WWE Superstar Rey Mysterio. “The energy at the track, the passion of the fans, and the legacy of DAYTONA make this race weekend absolutely electric—standing trackside in the heart of the action is an experience of a lifetime.”
Johnson played basketball for Sprayberry High School in Marietta, GA and as a senior was named Region 6-6A Player of the Year and would leave as the school’s all-time leading scorer. Johnson earned MVP honors at the Jordan Brand Classic after scoring 27 points and played in the McDonald’s All-American Game. She was the only female to play in the Iverson Classic and her number was retired by Sprayberry High School becoming the first female to receive the honor.
Johnson enters her senior season this year and has racked up plenty of awards and accomplishments during her tenure. As a freshman, she was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team (2023) and SEC Freshman of the Year (2023) averaging 11 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, helping lead her team to win its first national championship.
“Getting to wave the green flag at the Coke Zero Sugar 400 is such an honor,” said Johnson. “I’m hyped to be part of something this legendary and bring my energy to the track. This is going to be a moment to remember!”
Johnson was named Second-team All-SEC in 2024 and most recently named First-team All-SEC in 2025. This summer, she represented Team USA at the 2025 FIBA Women’s AmeriCup and secured a gold medal. Off the court, Johnson is a musician signed to Roc Nation, inspired to continue her late father’s legacy through music. She has released three albums in her music career, 4 My Fans, Best of Both Worlds, and Flau & B, building a loyal fanbase known as “The Lauk,” with more than 4 million followers across platforms. Her impact across sports and music has been widely recognized: she was named to Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2024 and was recently included in Billboard’s Sports & Music Power Players list, highlighting her influence as a true crossover talent.
The Coke Zero Sugar 400 race weekend returns Aug. 22-23, where those in attendance can witness all the intensity of superspeedway racing at DAYTONA. On Friday, the NASCAR Xfinity Series will take on the high banks of DAYTONA in the Wawa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola. The NASCAR Cup Series stars will have their last chance to fight for a playoff spot in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 on Saturday in the regular season finale.
Fans can also purchase an exclusive pre-race ticket package for the Coke Zero Sugar 400 with a reserved seat, admission to the Hard Rock Bet Fanzone, and pre-race access for Gretchen Wilson’s pre-race concert.
For more details or to purchase tickets to the Coke Zero Sugar 400 race weekend, please visit www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com.
About Daytona International Speedway
Daytona International Speedway is a state-of-the-art motorsports facility and was awarded the SportsBusiness Journal’s prestigious Sports Business Award for Sports Facility of the Year in 2016. Daytona International Speedway is the home of The Great American Race – the DAYTONA 500. Though the season-opening NASCAR Cup Series event garners most of the attention – as well as the largest audience in motorsports – the approximately 500-acre motorsports complex, also known as the World Center of Racing, boasts the most diverse schedule of racing on the globe. Some of the exciting racing events include January’s Rolex 24 At DAYTONA and Roar Before The Rolex 24, February’s DAYTONA 500 and Speedweeks Presented by AdventHealth, March’s Bike Week At DAYTONA Presented By GEICO, featuring DAYTONA Supercross and the DAYTONA 200, the August Coke Zero Sugar 400 weekend, and much more. The Speedway grounds are also used extensively for other events that include concerts (Welcome to Rockville, Heroes Honor Festival, etc.), sporting events (DAYTONA Soccer Fest, CLASH DAYTONA, etc.) civic and social gatherings, car shows, photo shoots, production vehicle testing and police motorcycle training.
About NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 14 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR sanctions races in three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series™), four international series (NASCAR Brasil Series, NASCAR Canada Series, NASCAR Euro Series, NASCAR Mexico Series), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour) and a local grassroots series (NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in five cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races annually in 11 countries and more than 30 U.S. states.
For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, X and Facebook.
