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WWE star turned Hollywood celebrity Dwayne Johnson served as the grand marshal for the 66th edition of the Daytona 500 on February 19, delivering the iconic command for the 500-mile race at Daytona International Speedway.
During his visit to the 2.5-mile oval, Johnson reminisced about an interaction with a fan that brought back memories of his high-school coach, Jody Cwik, who had a profound impact on his life.
Dwayne Johnson attended Freedom High School in Bethelem Township, Pennsylvania, where he was arrested several times by the age of 17 for fighting, theft and check fraud. It was his high school football coach, Cwik, who recognized his potential and recruited him into the team, a pivotal moment that Johnson acknowledges changed his life.
The Rock shared the memorable experience from the Daytona 500 weekend on X (formerly Twitter), recounting his interaction with his fans. He wrote:
"Crazy moment here. You’ll see at the end, I’m shooting a cellphone vid for a guy - he gets my attention, by yelling my old high school in Pennsylvania (Freedom) and mentioning my high school football coach, Jody Cwik."
"The last time I got arrested at 15, Jody said, 'hey stop getting arrested and come play football for me'. I did...And it changed my life...He changed my life. You’ll see me look up and point, and say 'rest in peace, I love you brother'"
"Amidst the adrenaline and beautiful chaos of #DAYTONA500 this moment was the last thing I expected...I’m grateful it did."
The WWE superstar showed his commitment to NASCAR and won the hearts of NASCAR fans by extending his stay at Daytona. He delivered the commands on Monday, as the race had been postponed due to inclement weather.
Dwayne Johnson shares advice to NASCAR's 'bad guy' Denny Hamlin
Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin has recently earned notoriety as NASCAR's villain following several clashes with fan-favorite drivers, resulting in boos and jeers from spectators.
Dwayne Johnson, known for his Hollywood roles and WWE persona as a bad guy, encouraged Denny Hamlin to embrace his new-found persona, highlighting the freedom of expression it brought with it.
"The best and greatest bad guys and villains out there, bad guys, bad girls, villains, are coming from a place of truth,” Johnson told NBC. “One of the cool things that being a great bad guy and a great villain offers — and this is my advice to Denny, is not only do you embrace it but you also get the opportunity to say and do a lot of things that people can’t."
He added:
"A lot of people wish they can, but they don’t so you don’t have to. Let me and Denny do the talking and get the boos."
Denny Hamlin had the honor of meeting Dwayne Johnson during the weekend and was thrilled that the WWE superstar acknowledged his role in NASCAR.
