Legendary Actor Kurt Russell to Lead Daytona 500 Field in Pace Car

Kurt Russell will have the distinct honor of serving as the honorary pace car driver for the 2026 Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday, February 15.

Kurt Russell speaks before accepting the 2022 Hall of Great Western Performers during the Western Heritage Awards at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Saturday, April, 9, 2022. | SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

As far as Hollywood goes, there aren't many actors who are as well-established as Kurt Russell. And as far as motorsports events go, few garner the attention that the Daytona 500, NASCAR's annual season-opening event, does.

This year, the legendary actor and iconic race will come together as Russell, 74, has been named the honorary pace car driver for the 2026 Daytona 500 on Sunday, February 15.

He’s no stranger to the big stage.

Thrilled to have Kurt Russell serve as our Honorary Pace Car Driver for the 2026 #DAYTONA500! pic.twitter.com/39ly9tnAZF

— Daytona International Speedway (@DAYTONA) January 26, 2026

“It’s incredibly exciting to be named the honorary pace car driver for this year’s Daytona 500,” Russell shared in a press release. “I can’t wait to get back behind the wheel, it’s been a long time since I’ve been in a race car.”

NASCAR, and the Daytona International Speedway are elated to add Russell to the list of massive celebrity names that have served as the honorary pace car driver of the Daytona 500 over the years.

“The DAYTONA 500 has always been bigger than a race. It’s a global event that blends competition, spectacle, and culture,” said Frank Kelleher, President of Daytona International Speedway. "Kurt Russell’s impact in entertainment mirrors what makes The Great American Race special, moments that endure long after the checkered flag.”

Russell's pace car driving duties are set to take place a couple of weeks ahead of the premiere of the second season of his hit Apple TV series, "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters," which makes its debut, gobally, on Friday, February 27.

Born in Massachusetts and raised in California, Russell started his career as a child actor with Disney. Since his humble beginnings as a child actor, Russell has added 110 acting credits to his name over his legendary acting career.

Some of his more acclaimed lead roles included Snake Pissken in Escape from New York (1981), Wyatt Earp in Tombstone (1993), and hockey coach Herb Brooks in Miracle (2004).

Russell will lead the field of 40 cars in the Great American Race, the Daytona 500, to the green flag. Russell will pace the field for several pace laps under caution flag speed before making the hard left turn down pit road, relinquishing the track to the competitors.

Once Russell turns down pit road, the cars will accelerate, and the 500 miles of 200 miles-per-hour action will commence.

The 2026 Daytona 500 will be televised on FOX on Sunday, February 15, with coverage set to kick off at 2:30 PM ET. William Byron, the driver of the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, comes into the race on a streak of two consecutive victories in the Daytona 500. Byron, who scored the win in 2025 in dramatic fashion as he snaked through a last-lap crash, will become the first driver in history to score three consecutive Daytona 500 wins if he can pull through.