Following an iconic opening act is tough to follow, be it the racing or the entertainment. That is the position Auto Club Speedway is in, though it has held that position many times.
The Daytona 500 featured its typical hold-your-breath, exciting moments, as well as pre-race entertainment to hype the crowd up. Perhaps the best moment leading to the race was when nine current and future NASCAR Hall of Famers gave the command to fire the engines.
For week two, here is who will be appearing at Auto Club Speedway for the final time on the 2-mile layout.
FOX Sports Booth: Three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart will remain in the booth for the Pala Casino 400 at Auto Club. Stewart was in the booth for both the Busch Light Clash at the Los Angeles Coliseum and Daytona 500.
For the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Adam Alexander will be joined by reigning Cup champion Joey Logano and his Team Penske teammate Ryan Blaney for the Prodction Alliance Group 300
Grand Marshal: It will be extra rowdy this weekend, and not just because of Kyle Busch. Actor Michael Rooker will serve as the grand marshal for the race. Rooker has appeared in several movies and television shows, including Guardians of the Galaxy, and played Rowdy Burns in Days of Thunder.
Honorary Starter: Former Olympian Misty May-Treanor will wave the green flag for the field in Southern California. May is a three-time Olympic gold medalist in beach volleyball and was the captain of the 1998 NCAA Women’s Volleyball champion Long Beach State University.
Pre-race Concert: Former Eagles guitarist Don Felder will perform the pre-race concert. It will serve as the final pre-race concert on the 2-mile layout.
Honorary Pace Car Driver: Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star and America’s Funniest Home Videos host Alfonso Ribeiro will drive the pace car.
About the author
Luken Glover joined the Frontstretch team in 2020 as a contributor, furthering a love for racing that traces back to his earliest memories. Glover inherited his passion for racing from his grandfather, who used to help former NASCAR team owner Junie Donlavey in his Richmond, Va. garage. A 2023 graduate from the University of the Cumberlands, Glover is the author of "The Underdog House," contributes to commentary pieces, and does occasional at-track reporting. Additionally, Glover enjoys working in ministry, coaching basketball, playing sports, and karting.
A daily email update (Monday through Friday) providing racing news, commentary, features, and information from Frontstretch.com
We hate spam. Your email address will not be sold or shared with anyone else.