Daytona 500 Grand Marshal SUV Honors Healthcare Workers

Daytona Beach, FL – With days to go until the Great American Race, employees at AdventHealth Daytona Beach get a sneak peek at the SUV that will carry the names of over 3,000 healthcare workers at the start of the 62nd Daytona 500. The truck—a new Chevy Blazer that was driven to the hospital by 2010 Daytona 500 winner Jamie McMurray—carries the signatures of more than 3,000 AdventHealth employees and honors the countless number of healthcare workers at the frontlines of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. “It’s so meaningful to be able to come out here and honor these workers who have spent day after day tirelessly caring for patients during this pandemic,” said McMurray, who will also drive the No. 77 AdventHealth car in Sunday’s Daytona 500. AdventHealth Daytona Beach CEO Ed Noseworthy said McMurray’s appearance provided a real boost in morale for the staff. “We owe much gratitude to our team members who have been caring for so many patients while working through their own challenges,” Noseworthy said. “It was great to see smiles on the faces of people who have worked so hard to help others heal during the pandemic.” McMurray, who first partnered with organization in 2016, will also wear an AdventHealth heart rate monitor during the race to give viewers a different perspective on the stresses of racing. The monitor will be visible through an in-car camera. The SUV will be driven by award-winner rapper and singer Pitbull—who was selected as the Grand Marshal for 2021—as he leads the field around the track at the start of 62nd Daytona 500. WNDB will carry Daytona 500 coverage beginning at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday. You can tune into FM 93.5 and AM 1150 for race coverage, or listen live through our online livestream (click here).