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Sasha Banks is the latest name to add to the grandeur of the Daytona 500, NASCAR's season-opener. After the news of American rapper and NASCAR team co-owner Pitbull serving as the Grand Marshal came in last week, WWE Superstar Sasha Banks has been named as the honorary starter of the Great American Race.
Sasha Banks will wave the green flag on NASCAR's version of the Super Bowl come Feb. 14 at 2:30 p.m. ET.
Speaking about the opportunity, an excited Sasha Banks said:
"I am honored to be the official starter of the Daytona 500. 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’."
Sasha Banks joins an elite list of Daytona 500 celebrities
The Daytona International Speedway has had a history of top athletes being involved in official capacities.
The 63rd edition of the Daytona 500 with Banks as the Honorary Starter marks the second-straight year with a WWE Superstar being involved with pre-race formalities. Sheamus had come in as the Honorary Pace Car Driver for last year's edition.
"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," said the DIS President Chip Wile.
"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," Wile further added.
With Sasha Banks being one of the most decorated female superstars in the WWE, with every major Women’s Championship to her name, she is sure to notch up the star power on tap at the NASCAR Cup Series opener.
Also Read: Watch: Ryan Newman features in 60-second Guaranteed Rate ad for Sunday's Super Bowl
What to expect at the 2021 Daytona 500
While the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series schedule has seen quite a few notable modifications, it can't take away from the hype that surrounds the Great American Race.
You might also like: NASCAR's biggest races of 2021
No other race on the circuit is quite as big as the Daytona 500 and a win here is something every NASCAR driver yearns for.
Quite a few storylines surround the season-opener and it will be interesting to see how it all pans out.
Having said that, Denny Hamlin will gun for his third victory in a row. Ryan Newman, who missed out last year owing to a freak accident, will eye the second Daytona 500 win of his career.
The two Kyles (Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson) will look to leave their horrors of 2020 behind and kickstart 2021 on a good note.
Reigning champion Chase Elliott, who will be looking to join the ranks of becoming only the third father-son duo with father Bill. The other two being Lee and Richard Petty, and Ned and Dale Jarrett.
The added excitement of celebrities like Sasha Banks has only served to raise the interest level of what's shaping up to be an exciting season. The season's first action gets underway with the non-points Busch Clash event this Tuesday, Feb. 9 at 7 p.m. ET.
More on the Busch Clash: Everything you need to know about the NASCAR Busch Clash at Daytona: Field, schedule, start times
