Nate Bargatze, the 46‑year‑old comedian, was named Grand Marshal for the Daytona 500 and delivered the command to start engines. He joked about a 500‑mile pun before deciding to keep the speech straightforward.
After the command, Bart Simpson dropped the flag to kick off the race, and Bargatze mingled with drivers such as Denny Hamlin, marking another high‑profile appearance for the comedy star.