CeCe Winans to Perform National Anthem
Event Part of a Tripleheader Weekend Featuring NASCAR’s Top-Tier Series; Tickets Are Available; NASCAR Cup Series Race Set for this Sunday
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 15, 2021) – Daytona International Speedway announced today that Kevin James, the star and executive producer of the sitcom “The Crew” for Netflix, now streaming on NETFLIX, will serve as the Grand Marshal for this Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race on the DAYTONA Road Course (FOX, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
In addition, CeCe Winans, the best-selling and most-awarded female gospel artist of all-time, will perform the pre-race National Anthem. The event, set for a 3:00 p.m. ET start, will mark the second time that that the NASCAR Cup Series has competed on the storied 14-turn, 3.61-mile tri-oval road course at Daytona International Speedway. To be a part of the action, fans can visit www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or call 1-800-PITSHOP.
Both the command for drivers to “Start Your Engines” by James, and Winans’ rendition of the Star Spangled
Banner, will be conducted virtually.
James is widely known as the start of “The King of Queens,” which premiered in 1998, ran for nine seasons on CBS with James starring and executive producing, the show garnered him an Emmy nomination in 2006 for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. The sitcom concluded its run in 2007 but continues to air daily in syndication across the country and around the world. He also starred in hit films including Paul Blart: Mall Cop, Zookeeper, Grownups, and most recently Hubie Halloween.
Winans has long since cemented her status as one of the most accomplished and celebrated women in modern music history. Her mantel holds a staggering 12 GRAMMY Awards, 20 Dove Awards, and 7 Stellar Awards. She’s been inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and the Nashville Music City Walk of Fame. In addition, she was named a Trailblazer of Soul by BMI and has garnered multiple NAACP Image Awards, Soul Train Awards, Essence Awards, and more. She has over 17 million album sales worldwide, topping the Gospel charts repeatedly while crossing over with smashes like “Count On Me,” her stunning duet with Whitney Houston from the multi-platinum ‘Waiting To Exhale’ soundtrack, which sold 2 million copies and cracked the Top 10 on the Pop, R&B, and Adult Contemporary charts. She touched millions more with inspirational performances everywhere from Oprah to The White House, and even showed off her acting chops on television series like ‘7th Heaven’ and ‘Doc.’
The DAYTONA Road Course Weekend kicks off this Friday (Feb. 19), with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series while Saturday’s (Feb. 20) action will feature the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
All events at Daytona International Speedway will be conducted in accordance with enhanced safety protocols and procedures to provide a safe environment for guests, NASCAR competitors, employees and the local community. All guests will be screened before entering the facility and will be required to wear face coverings while maintaining six feet social distancing throughout their visit.
Fans can stay connected with Daytona International Speedway on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for the latest speedway news.
About Daytona International Speedway
Daytona International Speedway is the home of The Great American Race – the DAYTONA 500. Though the season-opening NASCAR Cup Series event garners most of the attention – as well as the largest audience in motorsports – the approximately 500-acre motorsports complex boasts the most diverse schedule of racing on the globe, thus earning it the title of World Center of Racing. In addition to eight major weekends of racing activity, rarely a week goes by that the Speedway grounds are not used for events that include civic and social gatherings, car shows, photo shoots, production vehicle testing and police motorcycle training.
