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.
— Daytona International Speedway —
