Photos for Headline Surfer / WWE Smackdown Women's Champion Sasha Banks is the Honorary Starter for the 63rd running of the Daytona 500 race from Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.
By HENRY FREDERICK / Headline Surfer
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- It's Boss Time at Daytona International Speedway.
WWE Superstar Sasha Banks will serve as the Honorary Starter for Sunday's 63rd Daytona 500.
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 World Center of Racing from Daytona.
“I am honored to be the official starter of the Daytona 500," Banks said. "I would like to thank NASCAR and our partners at FOX for this opportunity. 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’.”
“I am honored to be the official starter of the Daytona 500," Banks said. "I would like to thank NASCAR and our partners at FOX for this opportunity. 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, Sasha Banks is one of the most celebrated Superstars in WWE, having held every major Women’s Championship.
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.
Consider: 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.
Speedway officials are thrilled Banks will be waving the green flag to start the race.
“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,” Daytona International Speedway President Chip Wile said. “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.
Henry Frederick is publisher of Headline Surfer, the award-winning 24/7 internet news outlet launched 12 years ago that serves greater Daytona Beach, Sanford & Orlando, Florida via HeadlineSurfer.com. Frederick has amassed more than a hundred journalism industry awards in print & online -- more than all other members of the working press combined in Central Florida since the mid-1990s. He earned his Master of Arts in New Media Journalism with academic honors from Full Sail University in 2019. Having witnessed the execution of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Florida's death chamber and other high profile cases, Frederick has appeared on national crime documentary programs on Discovery ID and Reelz for his investigative reporting and cops & courts breaking news stories. Award-Winning Journalism of Henry Frederick.