The critically acclaimed music producer and CEO will be going Biggie™ with Wendy’s and waving the green flag before the NASCAR Cup Series season opener
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 12, 2024) – GRAMMY® award winning DJ, artist and music producer DJ Khaled will waive the green flag ahead of the 66th Running of The Great American Race on Sunday, Feb. 18, 2024.
Khaled will be reminding fans to Go Biggie as he joins forces with longtime NASCAR partner Wendy’s® in promotion of Wendy’s Biggie™ Bag to bring together his love for fast cars, fresh beef, music, and golf. This one-of-a-kind infield experience at the Daytona International Speedway is bringing the big race day energy to Daytona’s biggest fans complete with a drive-thru experience to score the best deal in fast food and mini-golf activation like you’ve never experienced before, so sports fans can feel that biggie energy all day long whether in the stands or in the infield!
“We always love welcoming back our friends from Wendy’s, and introducing DJ Khaled into the mix as our Honorary Starter just amplifies an already spectacular list of pre-race dignitaries,” said Frank Kelleher, President of Daytona International Speedway. “There’s truly nothing like the experience of hearing those cars take the first lap at Daytona, and who knows, maybe the sounds of the engines rumbling past that starter stand as he waives the green flag will provide DJ Khaled with some inspiration for another chart-topping hit.”
Khaled Khaled, known professionally as DJ Khaled, has produced decades’ worth of award-winning and chart-topping songs and albums. Throughout his career, he’s worked with artists such as Jay-Z, Justin Bieber, Rhianna, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, Beyonce and many more. He frequents the Billboard Hot 100 Chart, producing popular songs like “All I Do Is Win,” “I’m The One,” “Wild Thoughts,” “Popstar,” and “No Brainer.”
Over the course of his career, DJ Khaled has received 10 GRAMMY® Award Nominations, and won the coveted record trophy in 2020 for Best Rap/Sung Performance alongside co-artists Nipsey Hussle and John Legend for the hit song “Higher.”
“I’ve always respected the Biggie lifestyle at Wendy’s and being chosen as this year’s honorary starter lets me turn that dream into reality,” said Grammy-Award winning artist, producer, and CEO DJ Khaled. “Going Biggie means going all out in everything, every day and challenging expectations at every turn. And being this year’s honorary starter is yet another way for me to do just that! I’m looking forward to seeing all the fans at the track and in the infield at the Wendy’s activation, you won’t want to miss it!”
The DAYTONA 500 is just one event taking place during the multi-day racing festival known as Speedweeks Presented by AdventHealth.
The action kicks off on Wednesday, Feb. 14 with Qualifying Presented by Busch Light, where drivers will fight for a front row start for Sunday’s race. Then on Thursday, Feb. 15, the rest of the field will battle for the reaming spots in The Great American Race during the BlueGreen Vacations Duel.
Friday is the first of four NASCAR season openers with the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series kicking off in the Fresh From Florida 250, followed by a doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 17 with the ARCA Menards Series Hard Rock Bet 200 and the Xfinity Series United Rentals 300.
Then, on Sunday, Feb. 18, DJ Khaled will join Dwayne Johnson and Pitbull for an epic pre-race, as he waives the green flag to signal the start of the 66th running of the DAYTONA 500.
For more information regarding the DAYTONA 500 and Speedweeks Presented by AdventHealth, 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 Monster Energy, 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 Sprint Race, NASCAR Mexico Series, NASCAR Canada Series, NASCAR Whelen Euro 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, Facebook, X and Snapchat.
About Wendy’s
Wendy’s was founded in 1969 by Dave Thomas in Columbus, Ohio. Dave built his business on the premise, “Quality is our Recipe®,” which remains the guidepost of the Wendy’s system. Wendy’s is best known for its made-to-order square hamburgers, using fresh, never frozen beef*, freshly-prepared salads, and other signature items like chili, baked potatoes and the Frosty® dessert. The Wendy’s Company (Nasdaq: WEN) is committed to doing the right thing and making a positive difference in the lives of others. This is most visible through the Company’s support of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption® and its signature Wendy’s Wonderful Kids® program, which seeks to find a loving, forever home for every child waiting to be adopted from the North American foster care system. Today, Wendy’s and its franchisees employ hundreds of thousands of people across over 7,000 restaurants worldwide with a vision of becoming the world’s most thriving and beloved restaurant brand. For details on franchising, connect with us at www.wendys.com/franchising. Visit www.wendys.com and www.squaredealblog.com for more information and connect with us on X and Instagram using @wendys, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/wendys. *Fresh beef available in the contiguous U.S., Alaska, and Canada. Wendy’s, Biggie, Frosty, Quality Is Our Recipe, Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption and Wendy’s Wonderful Kids are trademarks of Quality Is Our Recipe, LLC.
