Reacher series star will lead the field to green for the 67th running of The Great American Race
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 11, 2025) – Daytona International Speedway announced today that Alan Ritchson will add some muscle as the honorary pace car driver for the DAYTONA 500. The actor and producer will lead the field to green for the 67th running of The Great American Race.
“Alan Ritchson serving as our honorary pace car driver for the DAYTONA 500 is sure to add strength to our star-studded dignitaries during pre-race festivities,” said Frank Kelleher, President of Daytona International Speedway. “Alan knows all about high stakes and performing in clutch time as he does in the Prime Video hit series Reacher, and we’re looking forward to him leading the Cup Series drivers to the green flag.”
Ritchson portrays the title character in the Amazon Original series Reacher, which debuted in 2022 on Prime Video. In the show, Reacher is a former U.S. Army military policeman with brute strength, intellect and abilities. The action-crime series is based on the Jack Reacher book series by Lee Child and each season is based off a different Jack Reacher novel. Season 3 is set to premiere on Feb. 20, 2025, on Prime Video, and was renewed for a fourth season back in October.
Ritchson will soon return for his titular role and as an executive producer on the third season of Reacher. He has wrapped production on War Machine for Netflix and is further set to reprise his role in the untitled 11th installment of Universal Pictures’ Fast and Furious blockbuster franchise. Under his first-look film deal and separate three-picture deal for acting with Amazon MGM Studios, Ritchson is set to produce and star in the Adam Shankman-directed holiday comedy The Man With The Bag alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in addition to the producing and headlining the film adaptation of Nicholas Sparks’ latest bestseller, Counting Miracles.
“It’s an honor to be named the honorary pace car driver for the DAYTONA 500,” said Ritchson. “I hope the drivers are feeling extra competitive this year because there’s no way I’m ditching after the first lap. My dream has always been to win the DAYTONA 500. This is my year.”
Ritchson will be driving the 2025 Blazer EV SS, announced on Monday by Chevrolet as the pace vehicle for The Great American Race.
The action begins on Wednesday, Feb. 12, with DAYTONA 500 Qualifying Presented by Busch Light, setting the field for the Duel At DAYTONA, which occurs the following night on Thursday, Feb. 13, where drivers will battle it out for a spot in the coveted Great American Race.
The season-opening races for all three NASCAR national series as well as the ARCA Menards Series kick off on Friday, Feb. 14, starting with the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Fresh From Florida 250. Saturday, Feb. 15, will feature an action-packed double-header with the ARCA Menards Series Ride the ‘Dente 200 Presented by Chili’s followed by the NASCAR Xfinity Series United Rentals 300.
Then Sunday, Feb. 16, directly following GRAMMY® Award Winning Artist Pitbull’s pre-race show, the USAF Thunderbirds will perform their flyover, preparing both fans and drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series for an intense battle in the 67th running of the DAYTONA 500.
For more information regarding the DAYTONA 500 and Speedweeks Presented by AdventHealth, please visit www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com.
About Daytona International Speedway
Daytona International Speedway is a state-of-the-art motorsports facility and was awarded the SportsBusiness Journal’s prestigious Sports Business Award for Sports Facility of the Year in 2016. Daytona International Speedway is the home of The Great American Race – the DAYTONA 500. Though the season-opening NASCAR Cup Series event garners most of the attention – as well as the largest audience in motorsports – the approximately 500-acre motorsports complex, also known as the World Center of Racing, boasts the most diverse schedule of racing on the globe. Some of the exciting racing events include January’s Rolex 24 At DAYTONA and Roar Before The Rolex 24, February’s DAYTONA 500 and Speedweeks Presented by AdventHealth, March’s Bike Week At DAYTONA Presented By Monster Energy, featuring DAYTONA Supercross and the DAYTONA 200, the August Coke Zero Sugar 400 weekend, and much more. The Speedway grounds are also used extensively for other events that include concerts (Welcome to Rockville, Heroes Honor Festival, etc.), sporting events (DAYTONA Soccer Fest, CLASH DAYTONA, etc.) civic and social gatherings, car shows, photo shoots, production vehicle testing and police motorcycle training.
About NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 14 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR sanctions races in three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series™), four international series (NASCAR Brasil Series, NASCAR Canada Series, NASCAR Euro Series, NASCAR Mexico Series), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour) and a local grassroots series (NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in five cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races annually in 11 countries and more than 30 U.S. states.
For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, X and Facebook.
About Alan Ritchson/Reacher S3
Ritchson will soon return for his titular role and as an executive producer on the third season of Reacher, which has already received an early fourth season renewal. Under his first-look film deal and separate three-picture deal for acting with Amazon MGM Studios, Ritchson is set to produce and star in the Adam Shankman-directed holiday comedy The Man With The Bag alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in addition to producing and headlining the film adaptation of Nicholas Sparks’ latest bestseller, Counting Miracles. He has wrapped production on War Machine for Netflix, the action-thriller Motor City opposite Shailene Woodley and Ben Foster, and on the action-comedy Playdate alongside Kevin James where he also serves as executive producer. Ritchson is set to reprise his role in the untitled 11th installment of Universal Pictures’ Fast and Furious blockbuster franchise and will further produce and headline the action-thriller Runner.
Source: Daytona International Speedway | NASCAR Communications
