Dwayne Johnson has an undeniable impact on the image of any brand or event thanks to his large social media presence. Recently, the wrestler-turned-actor recently appeared at one of the year’s hottest racing events when Johnson was present at the 2024 Daytona 500 race of the NASCAR Cup Series.
Johnson served as the Grand Marshall for the race ceremony and had an emotional reaction to being a part of the event. The star took to social media to share his emotions regarding the ceremony while also thanking those involved. Here is what the “Rock” stated about being a part of the 2024 Daytona 500 race and how much it meant to him.
Dwayne Johnson Was Overwhelmed After Serving as Grand Marshall for the 2024 Daytona 500 race
Dwayne Johnson recently attended the annual Daytona 500 race of the NASCAR Cup Series, which was held on February 19, 2024, at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. Ahead of the race, Johnson served as the Grand Marshall for the opening ceremony.
Moreover, Johnson also took part in a prayer alongside the US Military before taking the mic in front of a crowd of 100,000 motorsport fans and announcing the race’s start. Johnson took to Instagram to share his emotional reaction to being a part of the event and serving as the Grand Marshall.
In the same post, Johnson also thanked the members of the US Military for their service to the nation. In another post, Johnson called his experience at the Daytona 500 race unforgettable. The Jumanji star thanked the fans who showed up for the event and showered him with love.
Dwayne Johnson Promoted the United Football League During the Race
At the Daytona 500 race, Dwayne Johnson appeared sporting a United Football League jacket, promoting the upcoming American football minor league that will start its inaugural season in March 2024. The new league was unveiled by Johnson in December last year after the merger of Johnson co-owned XFL and the United States Football League (USFL).
Before the race, Johnson spoke enthusiastically about the new league while talking to a Fox Sports correspondent on the pit row. Johnson later tweeted the interaction on X, while expressing his hopes for the new league.
Quick pit row chat with @JamieLittleTV on FOX/ @NASCARONFOX!
Our BIG season of UFL @XFL2023 football coming up MARCH 30th on @FOXSPORTS 🏈 🏟️ 🇺🇸
I’m pumped for football fans and also pumped to be able to CREATE MORE OPPORTUNITIES for players and their families to make it and… pic.twitter.com/WVdx56Qrl4
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) February 21, 2024
Thus, Johnson reaffirmed that the league’s primary goal was to increase opportunities for young footballing talent. Johnson himself was once a promising football prospect and played for the University of Miami and in the Canadian league before turning to wrestling.
However, Johnson has managed to keep in touch with the sport through his work in movies such as Gridiron Gang, The Game Plan, and the HBO series Ballers. Johnson purchased the XFL alongside a consortium of business figures in 2020, before merging it with USFL in 2023 to form the new UFL.
