Daytona 500: Grand Marshal Dwayne Johnson Reveals the Story Behind His “First Car” With Hours Left for the Race

Published 02/19/2024, 11:02 PM HKT

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The NASCAR Cup Series fever has been running rampant as the entire racing world flocks for the yearly extravaganza i.e. Daytona 500. And the one who has been stealing the spotlight sitting at the forefront of the 66th running of the Great American Race is none other than one of the biggest American icons, Dwayne Johnson.

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He might not be a big NASCAR freak, but he certainly has had his share of stories regarding his passion for cars that almost saw him get into deep waters many many years ago.

Dwayne Johnson spills teenage dumbness related to a car ahead of the Daytona 500

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The Rock has dipped his feet all across the sports world, including wrestling, football, and beyond. However, despite being a disciplined workhorse, the charismatic Hollywood mogul nurtures his other fascinations in life as well. And one of the fancy hobbies includes owning cars.

Now being on hand for the massive NASCAR event as the Grand Marshal, Johnson revisited his memory book. He noted that once in his teenage, he visited a Nashville honky-tonk bar on Lower Broadway as an aspiring country music singer and ended up buying an unauthorized car, his first, from an intoxicated man for $80. Upon investigating a noise coming from the backseat, they found another intoxicated man passed out on the floor between the seats.

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Uploading that clip from the FOX interview, The Rock wrote on Twitter, ‘‘Good times chopping it up with the boys. Talked @NASCAR, our upcoming @XFL2023 (UFL) season, and buying (hustling) my first car from an inebriated fella (crackhead) when I was 15, hanging in honky tonks on Music Row in Nashville. Can’t wait for tomorrow. #DAYTONA500 @NASCARONFOX #peopleschamp.”

But how did The Rock land into the NASCAR scene out of the blue?

How did The Rock get a leading spot at the Daytona 500?

Johnson was never into NASCAR in his life. But it was his enormous presence and star power that brought him into the business even if it was just for a single event.

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The Great American Race has maintained a trend of adding some marquee names belonging to different industries in recent years. Now, in 2024, they finally got their piece of The Rock to light up their signature event.

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There are some more big names, including Donald Trump, J. J. Watt, Pitbull, Vince Vaughn, Charles Woodson, Pitbull, etc, who graced the post of the Grand Marshal in the past years. What’s your take on Dwayne Johnson sharing his hilarious story of owning a car during his teenage years amidst the Daytona 500 endeavor? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by:

Shreya Nag

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Shreya Nag is a WWE writer at EssentiallySports. As a journalism major, Shreya has worked as both a writer and a news moderator. With over a thousand articles to her name at ES, she has developed a strong hand for the art of wrestling journalism.
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Edited by:

Gokul Pillai

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