Story byTeddy RicketsonSun, February 15, 2026 at 8:43 PM UTC·3 min readCelebrities at Daytona 500: Marshawn Lynch, Jon Gruden, Puka Nacua among stars at NASCAR race originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here. The Daytona 500 is one of the biggest racing days of the year. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIt generally signifies the start of the Cup Series schedule that runs from February to November. NASCAR has some big events on its race calendar, but it could easily be argued that the Daytona 500 is the biggest. NASCAR tends to pull out all the stops to make the race feel like the spectacle that it has developed into, and that includes involving celebrities and athletes who are either involved in the pre-race festivities or who are in attendance for the high-octane racing action. Here is more on the celebrities and athletes at the 2026 Daytona 500. LIVE: Daytona 500 tracker with race updates and highlightsAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementCelebrities at Daytona 500Marshawn Lynch was a dominant NFL running back.
