Denny Hamlin emerged as the NASCAR villain in the 2023 season. The renowned WWE athlete and Hollywood superstar, The Rock, will serve as the grand marshal at the opening of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season, the Daytona 500. Due to inclement weather, the race was postponed from Sunday to Monday. The Rock, displaying his champion spirit, announced that he would remain in Florida to give the command for the start of the engines.
The Rock has portrayed both heroic and villainous characters in WWE. His portrayal of Hollywood Rock in 2003 exemplifies his understanding of the role of the villain. During a press conference at the Daytona International Speedway before the main event, The Rock advised Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin, who now assumes the role of NASCAR’s villain.
Hamlin, who co-owns the 23XI Racing team with Michael Jordan, received advice from The Rock to fully embrace his role as the NASCAR villain. The Rock emphasized that Hamlin now has the opportunity to do and say things that his rivals can only dream of. He urged NASCAR and others to allow villains like him and Hamlin to speak and receive the boos.
Johnson, a Florida native, has never witnessed the Daytona 500 in person. Therefore, he was thrilled about his duty as the grand marshal and was determined to savor every moment of the experience. This is why he extended his stay in Daytona for an additional day. He announced this through X (previously known as Twitter).
This is not the first time the former WWE champion has been given the command. He previously fulfilled the same role in 2004 at the Texas Motor Speedway. The Rock is leaving a positive impression among race fans with his dedication to the grand marshal role.
According to the Source firstsportz.com