NASCAR kicks off its 75th Anniversary with its biggest event, the Daytona 500, on Sunday, Feb. 19.
The Great American Race has sold out for the eighth year in a row.
As fans look forward to the race, here is who will be appearing in the pre-race ceremonies.
National Anthem: Country artist BRELAND will perform The Star-Spangled Banner.” BRELAND boasts three Billboard Hot 100 appearances, including one No. 1 on Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart, “Beers on Me” (alongside Dierks Bentley and HARDY), in 2022.
Pre-Race Concert: For the second time at the Daytona 500 and third for Speedweeks, fellow country singer Dierks Bentley will be performing the pre-race concert, which will take place at approximately 1:15 pm. ET. Bentley has seven Top Country Albums No. 1s to his name, most recently with 2018’s The Mountain, plus 18 Country Airplay No. 1s.
Grand Marshals: To celebrate its 75th anniversary, nine Daytona 500 and series champions will serve as the grand marshals for the event. Drivers from six decades will give the command.
Seven-time Cup champion and Daytona 500 winner Richard Petty will represent the 1960s. Bobby Allison will stand in for the 1970s. Bill Elliott steps in for the 1980s. A pair of champions from the 1990s in Jeff Gordon and Dale Jarrett will help give the command. Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick highlight the 2000s. Finally, Kurt Busch and Joey Logano will represent the 2010s.
Flyover: Celebrating their 70th anniversary, the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds will perform their 13th consecutive flyover for the Daytona 500. The flyover will feature six F-16 Fighting Falcons.
Honorary Starter: Actress Tiffany Haddish will wave the green flag over the 40-car field at the Daytona 500. The Emmy-winning actress has starred in several movies and hosted Saturday Night Live in 2017.
Entering his fifth year with Frontstretch, Luken Glover is the author of The Underdog House, shedding light on the motivation and performance of NASCAR's dark horse teams as they strive to fight to the top. Additionally, Glover reports for the site at various events, and he contributes in the video editing department.
A 2023 graduate of the University of the Cumberlands, Glover is a middle school math and PE teacher, as well as a basketball coach. He is passionate about serving in his church, playing/coaching a wide variety of sports, and researching motorsports history.