FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NASCAR Legends to Give Command to Fire Engines for
Milestone DAYTONA 500 Race
The 65th running of the Daytona 500 to kick off NASCAR’s
75th Anniversary season with history-making grand marshal group
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 14, 2023) – As NASCAR reflects on its history to start its 75th Anniversary season, nine legends of the sport – all of whom have won the DAYTONA 500 and the NASCAR Cup Series championship – will come together to serve as grand marshals for the 65th running of The Great American Race.
Five NASCAR Hall of Famers and four future Hall of Famers in Richard Petty, Bobby Allison, Bill Elliott, Jeff Gordon, Dale Jarrett, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Kurt Busch and Joey Logano will collectively give the command to fire engines for the DAYTONA 500 on Sunday, Feb. 19.
“If a driver has won both a DAYTONA 500 and a NASCAR Cup Series championship, they have accomplished the two most difficult feats possible in our sport and deserve to be put on a pedestal,” said Daytona International Speedway President Frank Kelleher. “As we start NASCAR’s 75th Anniversary season, it’s important to honor these legends. There’s no better time to give fans the chance to celebrate the past than before a sold-out crowd at Daytona International Speedway.”
The grand marshal corps represents DAYTONA 500 champions across six decades. Their accomplishments are outlined below:
1960s – Richard Petty
NASCAR’s first seven-time Cup Series champion (1964, 1967, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1979) is a member of the inaugural class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2010. Petty’s 200 Cup Series wins is the most all-time, and include seven DAYTONA 500 victories (1964, 1966, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1979, 1982).
1970s – Bobby Allison
A three-time DAYTONA 500 champion (1978, 1982, 1988), Allison won the 1983 Cup Series championship. He was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2011 after compiling 84 career Cup Series wins
1980s – Bill Elliott
Elliott’s two DAYTONA 500 wins (1985, 1987) preceded his Cup Series championship in 1988. The 16-time Most Popular Driver was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2015.
1990s – Dale Jarrett and Jeff Gordon
Jarrett (1993, 1996, 2000) and Gordon (1997, 1999, 2005) have three DAYTONA 500 wins apiece. Jarrett, a 2014 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee, captured his Cup Series title in 1999 and had 32 Cup victories. Gordon sits third on the all-time wins list with 93, and won four Cup championships (1995, 1997, 1998, 2001) en route to his 2019 induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
2000s – Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick
NASCAR’s most recent seven-time champion (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2016), Johnson has a pair of DAYTONA 500 wins (2006, 2013) out of his 83 victories, which is tied for fifth all-time. Harvick is tied for seventh on the all-time wins list with 60, including a 2007 DAYTONA 500 win. He was the 2014 Cup Series champion.
2010s – Kurt Busch and Joey Logano
Busch won the 2004 Cup Series championship and the 2017 DAYTONA 500, and has tallied 34 Cup Series victories in his career. Logano is the reigning Cup Series champion, and also won the championship in 2018. His DAYTONA 500 win came in 2015.
The action during Speedweeks Presented by AdventHealth kicks off on Wednesday, Feb. 15, with DAYTONA 500 Qualifying Presented by Busch Light determining the front row for the DAYTONA 500. Then on Thursday, Feb. 16, it’s high stakes on the high banks in the Bluegreen Vacations Duel, as drivers such as Jimmie Johnson and Travis Pastrana battle it out for the chance to race on Sunday.
Friday sees the return of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in the Next Era Energy 250. Then, the racing continues with a double header on Saturday, Feb. 18, with the ARCA Menards Series Race, followed by the NASCAR Xfinity Series’ Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner 300.
Then, on Sunday, the drivers of the NASCAR Cup Series will make their 2023 season debut in the 65th running of the DAYTONA 500.
Fans are encouraged to reserve their place in history during Speedweeks Presented by AdventHealth by logging onto DAYTONA500.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP. Additionally, fans can buy or sell reserved seats for the DAYTONA 500 by visiting SeatGeek, the Official Ticket Marketplace of NASCAR.
Fans can stay connected with Daytona International Speedway via daytonainternationalspeedway.com, on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, as well as the NASCAR Tracks App, for the latest speedway news.
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 16 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 Pinty’s Series (Canada), 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 eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races annually in 12 countries and more than 30 U.S. states. For more information visit http://www.nascar.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (‘NASCAR’).
