Dale Earnhardt Jr. to wave Daytona 500 green flag, but here’s what he vows never to do
Dale Earnhardt Jr. revealed on his podcast that he has been named honorary starter of the Daytona 500 that kicks off the 2020 NASCAR season Feb. 16.
At the same time, Earnhardt joked that he will never do the last thing left for him to accomplish on the legendary track: sing the national anthem.
“One thing is certain, I’m not doing any singing at Daytona, no matter how hard they ask,” Earnhardt said on a recent rendition of his “Dirty Mo Media” podcast.
“That probably won’t happen,” Daytona International Speedway President Chip Wile agreed in a statement on the speedway website this week. “But what will happen, come February, will be another outpouring of support from race fans about Dale’s involvement.
“There’s no way to exaggerate how much he means to the fans and to NASCAR,” Wile said on the site. “Any role he plays on a Daytona 500 weekend is significant.”
Earnhardt Jr. won the race in 2004 and 2014.
His father died in a last-lap crash at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 18, 2001.
Earnhardt Jr., voted NASCAR’s most popular driver by fans for 15 years straight, is a racing analyst for NBC Sports.
This story was originally published November 21, 2019 at 6:20 PM.