Daytona 500 pre-race updates: Charles Woodson ready to give command to start engines
DAYTONA BEACH — Wake up, it's Daytona 500 day!
The 64th Great American Race goes green in a little over six hours (3:06 p.m.), with defending series champ Kyle Larson set to lead the field of 40 Next Gen cars into Turn 1.
Tickets for today's race have been sold out for weeks, and the Speedway has been jam-packed since the haulers arrived last Monday.
Pre-race festivities includes a concert by country music artist Luke Combs, and the most famous words in motorsports coming from the lips of NFL Hall of Famer Charles Woodson.
Follow along right here as we take you up to today's green flag!
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12:15 | Charles Woodson ready to give command to start Daytona 500 engines
Charles Woodson will give the command to fire engines for today's Daytona 500. The NFL Hall of Famer and former Heisman trophy winner said Sunday he grew up an avid Jeff Gordon fan, and also didn't rule out the possibilty of one day owning a NASCAR team.
"I was a big fan of Jeff Gordon growing up, that's my era," Woodson said. "He had the 24, and that was my number. To be here, part of this iconic race, and be an actual part of it is pretty special."
12 p.m. | Trace Adkins on Daytona 500 anthem: 'Still makes me nervous'
Trace Adkins will sing today's National Anthem ahead of the Daytona 500 — the first time he's ever sang at The Great American Race.
"I can't believe it's taken me this long to get to Daytona," Adkins said. "I'm glad to be here. I'm stoked about it. One thing that still makes me nervous. If I screw up the National Anthem you're on YouTube the rest of your life."
11:30 a.m. | Luke Combs to sing Daytona 500 pre-race concert
Country music star Luke Combs will sing today's pre-concert ahead of the Daytona 500, which will go green at 3:06 p.m.
Daytona International Speedway President Frank Kelleher presented Combs with a commemorative guitar ahead of his concert Sunday morning.
10:30 a.m. | WWE superstar Big E to drive Daytona 500 pace car
WWE superstar Big E will pilot the 2022 Toyota Camry Daytona 500 pace car this afternoon, leading the 40-car field to the green flag of The Great American Race.
A Tampa native, Big E is a former University of Iowa defensive lineman and USA Powerlifting Champion. He will also be a major part of WrestleMania 38, which takes place April 2-3.
9 a.m. | Daytona 500 weather forecast
After a couple years of Mother Nature winning this battle, it appears we're going to conquer her today.
Conditions are darn near perfect for today's race, with highs in the low-70s and a sun-soaked sky. Winds will be out of the northeast at 5-15 mph.
And while we never say never around here, the chance of rain today is about as high as getting through the actual race without any wrecks.
Price of Daytona 500 tickets
For any procrastinators out there with a big wallet, tickets are still available on secondary markets. There are currently a pair of $97 tickets on Seat Geek, while tickets start just under $150 on StubHub.
When do Daytona 500 gates open?
Good question!
Parking lots at the Speedway opened at 6 a.m., with the Midway open at 8 a.m. and Fanzone at 9.
What time is the green flag for the Daytona 500?
The TV Guide will tell you 2:30, but the actual green flag drops at 3:06 p.m.
Daytona 500 channel and TV schedule
11 a.m., NASCAR RaceDay: Daytona 500, FS1
1 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay: Daytona 500, FOX
2:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500, FOX
Daytona 500 starting lineup
1. Kyle Larson
2. Alex Bowman
3. Brad Keselowski
4. Chris Buescher
5. Austin Cindric
6. Michael McDowell
7. Ryan Blaney
8. Harrison Burton
9. Chase Briscoe
10. Kyle Busch
11. Chase Elliott
12. Christopher Bell
13. Erik Jones
14. Martin Truex Jr.
15. Tyler Reddick
16. Bubba Wallace
17. Kurt Busch
18. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
19. Ross Chastain
20. Joey Logano
21. Daniel Suarez
22. Kevin Harvick
23. William Byron
24. Corey LaJoie
25. Justin Haley
26. Ty Dillon
27. Landon Cassill
28. Greg Biffle
29. Todd Gilliland
30. Denny Hamlin
31. Cole Custer
32. Cody Ware
33. Daniel Hemric
34. David Ragan
35. Kaz Grala
36. Austin Dillon
37. BJ McLeod
38. Aric Almirola
39. Noah Gragson
40. Jacques Villeneuve
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Everything you need to know ahead of today's Daytona 500
