Nate Bargatze, the popular stand‑up comic, served as Grand Marshal for the Daytona 500, delivering a straightforward command to drivers and keeping jokes to a minimum.
He kept his speech clean, even after joking about 500 miles and Jimmie Johnson, and was joined by Bart Simpson to drop the flag. Bargatze also mingled with drivers like Denny Hamlin and highlighted his recent comedy successes.