Bart Simpson named as 2026 Daytona 500 honorary starter

The honorary starter for the Daytona 500 is always one of the more fascinating picks amid NASCAR’s calendar. This year’s choice may be the wildest we’ve seen.

FOX announced on Friday that Bart Simpson will serve in the role in 2026, waving the green flag to start the race. How exactly will that work? We’re excited to find out, but that’s who they’re rolling with in honor of the 800th episode of The Simpsons airing after the race.

Outside of Simpson, there’s a ton of star power heading to Daytona this weekend. Comedian Nate Bargatze will be at the track, serving as the Grand Marshal for this year’s edition of the Great American Race.

Bargatze has seen his star rise over the past couple of years after rising to fame via Saturday Night Live. He’ll be starring in his first feature film, The Breadwinner, which comes out this March. The Daytona 500 is the perfect promotional tool for that.

Meanwhile, Kurt Russell will also be part of the festivities as well in Florida. FOX Sports previously announced during the NFC Championship game that the legendary actor would be the honorary pace car driver. 

“It’s incredibly exciting to be named the honorary pace car driver for this year’s Daytona 500,” Kurt Russell said in a press release, per Jayski’s. “I can’t wait to get back behind the wheel, it’s been a long time since I’ve been in a race car.”

Alas, the 2026 Daytona 500 will take place at Daytona International Speedway this Sunday, Feb. 15. Russell will drive the pace car ahead of the second season of his Apple TV series, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, which will premiere on Friday, Feb. 27. 

He’s been in the entertainment industry since 1962 and is known for his appearances in films such as Escape from New York, Escape from L.A., Big Trouble in Little China, Backdraft and Tombstone. The 74-year-old has been nominated for an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award and earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2017.

The Daytona 500 is NASCAR’s biggest race, and the winner will get a head start in the battle for the Cup Series title. William Byron is the defending Daytona 500 champion and has won the race the last two seasons. Simpson, Bargatze and Russell will only add to the fun in two days.

— On3’s Brian Jones contributed to this article.