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Here’s Who’s Performing & Appearing at Daytona

Can you feel the intensity rising? There are just two races left in the NASCAR Cup Series regular season before the playoffs begin.

A wild weekend at Michigan International Speedway leaves the playoff picture even foggier than before. Chris Buescher has a little extra breathing room that can dissipate in a hurry with a 16-point advantage over the cut line. The gap between the last driver in, Ross Chastain, and the first out, Bubba Wallace, is the narrowest of margins, as the two are separated by a single point.

But along with the chaotic nature of Daytona International Speedway, there is always the chance of a shock winner who is ready to spoil the playoff party, and that scenario brings the heat to a boiling point of storylines.

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Here is who will be on hand to kick things off for the annual Coke Zero Sugar 400.

Grand Marshal: In celebration of its 75th anniversary in NASCAR, the Petty family will serve as grand marshals for the race. Leading the group in giving the most famous words in motorsports is Richard Petty. Petty is a 10-time winner at Daytona, including his 200th and final win, which came at the superspeedway in front of Ronald Reagan, the President of the United States at the time.

Petty’s son and current NBC Sports analyst Kyle Petty will join his father for the command. Hall-of-Fame engine builder and crew chief Maurice Petty’s sons Ritchie, Timmy and Mark Petty will appear alongside the father-son duo as well.

Honorary Event Official: Olympic swimmer Caeleb Dressel will serve as the honorary Event official for the Cup race. Dressel is a nine-time Olympic gold medalist, including two golds in this year’s Paris Olympics.

Joining Dressel as an honorary event official will be fellow Olympian Parker Valby, who competed in the Paris Olympics in the Women’s 10000m event.

Honorary Starter: Dressel’s fellow Olympic swimmer Bobby Finke will take part in starting the race by waving the green flag for the Coke Zero Sugar 400. Finke is a three-time gold medalist, including a gold in this year’s Paris Olympics by setting the world record in the Men’s 1500m Freestyle.

Dressel, Valby, and Finke were all athletes at the University of Florida.

Honorary Pace Car Rider: Riding along in the pace car ahead of the Cup race and serving as an honorary event official will be Paige Spiranac. Spiranac is a popular social media influencer for golf, a sport she was a former professional in and now instructs.

Pre-Race Concert: Rock band Lit will perform the pre-race concert prior to the Coke Zero Sugar 400. The group’s hit “My Own Worst Enemy” was an 11-week No. 1 on Billboard‘s Alternative Airplay chart in 1999.

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.