The 68th edition of the coveted Daytona 500 is scheduled for February 15, 2026. Following the likes of President Donald Trump, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Pitbull, and more, award-winning comedian Nate Bargatze is set to serve as the race’s Grand Marshal. Speaking on The Backstretch podcast, he revealed how he has been a NASCAR fan for a long time now.
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Hailing from Nashville, Bargatze grew up with racing as an inevitable part of his childhood. But it was only in his late teens that he developed a strong affinity for it. He said, “Then you start doing comedy, get busy, and it’s a mix of like how you do everything with sports. But I’ve always been a NASCAR fan.” Even after being a fan for this long, he hasn’t been able to get over his fascination with the sport.
He continued to speak in awe about how fast cars move in such proximity to each other. “I love it when someone just kind of goes out on their own and just sees if it works out, or they just get crushed and go back,” he said. The Bristol Motor Speedway is the go-to racetrack in the Tennessee region, and he quipped in elation about it as well.
Bargatze serving as the Grand Marshal will be an iconic moment in NASCAR history, reflecting the legacy he has built thus far and is set to continue in the coming years. He won the GRAMMY award in 2026 and became the No. 1 touring comedian in the world in 2024 and 2025. He also hosted Saturday Night Live on two occasions.
His first feature film, one that he co-wrote, produced, and starred in, is set to release in theatres this spring. It has been titled “The Breadwinner” and is scheduled to release on May 29, 2026.
Bargatze about being the Grand Marshal for the Daytona 500
Frank Keller, the President of the Daytona International Speedway, sounded extremely pleased with Bargatze’s association with The Great American Race. He said, “He’ll bring a memorable spark to the command, amplifying the emotion and excitement of one of the biggest moments in motorsports.”
For his part, Bargatze is excited to a level that cannot be expressed in words. He added on the podcast, “I think it’s everybody’s dream just to be able to tell them to start their engines. It’s fun to, you know, get them fired up. You kind of get that the Daytona 500, obviously, is such a big race. It’s my favorite race of the year. And so to be the Grand Marshall is a true honor.”
Giving the command to start the engines won’t be all that Bargatze will be doing at the track. He will also participate in a fan QnA session at the Hard Rock Bet Zone on race day morning. Thanks to his popularity and his love for stock car racing, his appearance ought to become one of the most memorable moments during this year’s running of the Daytona 500.
