WWE Superstar Sasha Banks will serve as the Honorary Starter for the 63rd Daytona 500 on Sunday, February 14. She will waive the green flag on the Great American Race, which is set for a 2:30 p.m. ET (FOX, FOX Deportes, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) start at the 2.5-mile speedway.
“I am honored to be the official starter of the Daytona 500. I would like to thank NASCAR and our partners at FOX for this opportunity,” said Sasha Banks. “I can’t wait to get out to the track in front of the great fans and find out which driver has what it takes to be a ‘legit boss’.”
Banks can be seen each week on Friday Night SmackDown, which airs live every Friday night on FOX. The current SmackDown Women’s Champion, she is one of the most celebrated Superstars in WWE, having held every major Women’s Championship in WWE. As a pioneer of the WWE Women’s Division, Banks has continuously broken down barriers and shattered glass ceilings, helping usher in WWE’s current Women’s Evolution. She is a former NXT Women’s Champion, a multi-time Raw Women’s Champion, and one half of the first-ever WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions.
“The tradition of having high-profile athletes, including those from WWE, as part of the Great American Race continues this year with Sasha Banks as our Honorary Starter, and we couldn’t be more excited,” said Daytona International Speedway President Chip Wile. “She is a true champion, and I know our fans will be anxious to see her drop the green flag on the historical 63rd Daytona 500.”
Banks’ appearance at the Daytona 500 marks the second consecutive year that a WWE Superstar has been a part of pre-race ceremonies. In 2020, Sheamus was the Honorary Pace Car Driver. Daytona International Speedway has a long history of professional athletes being involved in official capacities at the Daytona 500, dating to 1977 when then-Oakland Raiders quarterback Ken Stabler was the Honorary Starter. More recently, another WWE Superstar, John Cena, was the 2012 Honorary Starter and the 2016 Honorary Pace Car Driver, while former NFL great Peyton Manning was Honorary Pace Car Driver in 2018.
All Speedweeks events will be conducted in accordance with enhanced safety protocols and procedures to provide a safe environment for guests, NASCAR competitors, employees and the local community. All guests will be screened before entering the facility and will be required to wear face coverings while maintaining six feet social distancing throughout their visit.
For more info: www.DAYTONA500.com.