DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The 3-0-5 took over the Daytona 5-0-0.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Pitbull and DJ Khaled represented South Florida at the Daytona 500, because the trio of Sunshine State celebrities introduced a dose of celebrity energy to Sunday’s scheduled race day that used to be washed out by rain.
Johnson, the wrestler/actor, mentioned he would keep for Monday’s rescheduled race and honor his function as Daytona 500 grand marshal and provides the command for drivers to get started their engines.
Pitbull used to be scheduled to carry out the pre-race live performance within the Daytona infield, but it surely used to be scrapped on account of stable rain. He agreed to go back in 2025 for a similar match. Khaled mentioned he not able to keep Monday for his function as honorary starter.
The final time the Daytona 500 used to be postponed a complete day used to be in 2012.
“Who would have ever thought,” Pitbull mentioned, “The Rock, Khaled and Pit at the Daytona 500?”
Khaled moved to Miami — house of the 305 house code — in 1998 to kickstart a radio occupation that led to Grammy wins and a a success run as DJ, manufacturer, and music creator. Known as “Mr. Worldwide,” Pitbull used to be born in Miami and named his debut album “M.I.A.M.I.” ahead of he launched large hits corresponding to “Timber” and “Fireball.”
“It’s incredible to see us all come together for the Daytona 500,” Khaled mentioned. “But to represent Florida is beautiful.”
The 51-year-old Johnson is ready to go back to wrestling for WrestleMania in April in Philadelphia. The “Fast and the Furious” franchise celebrity performed soccer at Miami and used to be a reserve at the workforce’s 1991 nationwide championship workforce.
“Best college in Florida,” Johnson mentioned.
The A-listers caught across the observe to advertise their present tasks.
Johnson posted an Instagram video of himself using previous Daytona International Speedway overdue Saturday night time, joking he used to be “up to no good. Trouble. With a capital T.”
“I got a little cooky last night because I couldn’t sleep,” Johnson mentioned Sunday. “I went to the gym at midnight. I drove by the Speedway, all the lights were on, just immediately felt the energy.”
FINALLY, THE ROCK HAS COME BACK TO DAYTONA
The Rock presented some recommendation to NASCAR villain Denny Hamlin: roll with it.
Johnson, whose contemporary go back to the WWE has are available a heel function, mentioned Hamlin must include the boos and cause them to a part of his racing character.
Hamlin, a three-time Daytona 500 winner, has abruptly transform public enemy No. 1 within the Cup Series. He will get jeered greater than Kyle Busch when he wins and has leaned into it a little bit by way of announcing such things as “I just beat your favorite driver.”
The Rock would really like to see extra.
“Being the villain is the greatest thing in the world,” The Rock mentioned. “Everybody wants to be a good guy or good girl, everyone wants to be loved and cheered and considered the hero, which is great and it’s natural; it’s just human psychology and desire.
“But I have felt in my career and through my experience — that I’ve been very fortunate to have — is that the rare air is when you have the opportunity and you grab it by the throat and you don’t let it go and that’s the opportunity to be a great bad guy.”
Johnson has skilled all sides as an actor and as a qualified wrestler.
“I always think that the best and greatest bad guys, bad girls and villains out there are coming from a place of truth. So one of the cool things that being a great bad guy and a great villain offers — and this is my advice to Denny — is not only do you embrace it, but also you get the opportunity to say and do a lot of things that people can’t.
“A lot of people wish they can, but they don’t. So you don’t have to. Let me and Denny do the talking and get the boos.”
MR. WORLDWIDE
Pitbull nonetheless considers himself a NASCAR underdog.
Despite six wins and 36 top-five finishes in 3 seasons as co-owner at Trackhouse Racing, the Grammy Award-winning singer says “this is just the beginning.”
“Underdogs, one thing we love is a challenge,” Pitbull mentioned. “We love when people tell us no, don’t, won’t, never will happen, crazy, stupid, impossible. Those are words that fuel us.”
He then defined how simple it’s to turn the ones from unfavourable to sure: converting can’t to can, don’t to do and gained’t to gained.
“And if you really put it together, just put an apostrophe between I, M and Possible, it’s I’m possible,” he added.
“So when you bring that mentality to a whole sport who is hungry to feed the world and teach different communities, different cultures that, ‘Hey, there’s opportunities here,’ then you in the ultimate world of do good and be well.
“So for Trackhouse to be underdogs, that was a beautiful thing in the beginning, but we’ll forever be underdogs and that’s why we’ll fight the way that we fight and we’ll continue to build the way that we build and continue to inspire and motivate others out there.”
Pitbull, who co-owns the workforce with retired driving force Justin Marks, now has two full-time automobiles pushed by way of Ross Chastain and Daniel Suárez. He additionally fields a 3rd automotive at make a choice races for road-racing specialist Shane van Gisbergen.
He just lately launched a brand new NASCAR-themed album that includes songs with Tim McGraw, Dolly Parton and Nile Rodgers. He additionally has a music devoted to the overdue Jimmy Buffett.
WE TAKIN’ OVER
Could DJ Khaled upload NASCAR workforce proprietor able to win, win, win it doesn’t matter what to his already loaded resume of hype guy, manufacturer, creator?
Khaled says he is the only.
Khaled mentioned he envisioned a time when he would go back to the Daytona 500, no longer as a part of race day leisure, however as a star proprietor similar to Pitbull and 23XI Racing’s Michael Jordan.
“I would love to be a team owner,” Khaled mentioned. “Look at Michael Jordan, the beautiful things he’s doing. All the other great team owners. One day, God willing, I’ll have a ‘We the Best’ car out there, bringing home a trophy.”
NASCAR is suffering from celebrities who’ve moved via media facilities making the similar daring statements about workforce possession with no deal ever panning out. Khaled mentioned he is been a race fan since formative years.
The DJ-producer, whose actual title is Khaled Mohamed Khaled, mentioned he attended a Daytona 500 or two as a child on account of his love of automobiles. Khaled introduced his spouse and two younger sons with him to the observe.
Khaled flexed when he mentioned he put his fingers within the air and practiced waving the golf green flag.
He additionally teased new song would drop quickly.
“Everybody take it easy, the title is coming soon,” Khaled mentioned to laughter status over the Harley J. Earl Trophy. “It’s going to touch everybody worldwide.”
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