NASCAR announces legendary lineup to give ‘start your engines’ command at 2023 Daytona 500

The 2023 Daytona 500 is the 65th edition of the event.

NASCAR announces legendary lineup to give ‘start your engines’ command at 2023 Daytona 500

Jeff Gordan, Richard Petty, Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick.

The 2023 Daytona 500 will mark the official start to the 75th anniversary season of the Premier stock Car racing championship. NASCAR has announced nine legends lineup to give the iconic “Drivers start your engines” command on February 19 Sunday. The lineup features five Hall of Famers and four future Hall of Famers.

Seven times Cup champion Richard Petty headlines the HOF lineup and is joined by Bobby Allison, Bill Elliott, Jeff Gordon, and Dale Jarrett. Petty is the most dominant driver at Daytona 500 and has a record seven wins.  1983 Cup champion Allison has won the event thrice, just like 1999 Cup winner Jarret and Cup winner Jeff Gordan four times. Bill Elliott, who won the championship in 1988, has two 500 wins.

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The non-HOF lineup is led by Cup champion Jimmie Johnson seven times, and he is joined by Kurt Busch, Kevin Harvick, and Joey Logano. Johnson is the only driver to win multiple Daytona 500s (2) on the list. The 2004 Champion, Busch, won the event in 2017, and Harvick won the Great American Race in 2007.  The defending Cup champion Logano’s 500 win came in 2015.

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If a driver has won both a Daytona 500 and a NASCAR Cup Series championship, they have accomplished the two most difficult feats possible in our sport and deserve to be put on a pedestal. As we start NASCAR’s 75th anniversary season, it’s important to honor these legends. There’s no better time to give fans the chance to celebrate the past than before a sold-out crowd at Daytona International Speedway.
Said Frank Kelleher, Daytona International Speedway President.

The 2023 Daytona 500 is special for Kevin Harvick and Jimmie Johnson

Other than Kurt Busch, who is yet to get the medical clearance to race again due to a concussion, all non-HOF drivers will race each other at Daytona. Jimmie Johnson returned as owner-driver for LEGACY MC after announcing his retirement in 2020. Logano and Harvick will hit the track with their respective full-time rides.

Kevin Harvick and Jimmie Johnosn
Kevin Harvick and Jimmie Johnosn (Credits: USA Today)

Johnson will drive the No:84 Chevy on his return and will have to produce a solid qualifying run to secure a spot for the final race, as only four spots are available for open charters. He hopes to mark his return in NASCAR history with a win, which will also be his 684th career win.

For Nio:44, Stewart Hass Racing driver Kevin Harvick 2023 is potentially his final Daytona 500 as he will retire at the end of this season. Though a part-time return is always on the card, the probability of it happening is mild.  He hopes to end his career on high-not with 500 wins.

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