As America celebrates its 250th anniversary in 2026, NASCAR and its icons have found their own ways to honor those who protect the nation and celebrate the country they proudly call home. The sanctioning body introduced a massive giveaway of 250 lifelong “Hero Passes” to active-duty service members and veterans. It also raced on an active military base in Coronado, San Diego, for the first time in history.
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That same weekend, on June 17, Ford and NASCAR teased their Veterans Day plans for November 11 aboard the USS Midway Museum. The automaker has now revealed more details, giving fans something to look forward to just three days after the Cup Series season draws to a close.
There will be an exhibition race at the iconic Daytona International Speedway on that day. The event, which is named ‘The Proud To Honor Veterans Day Classic’, will feature 12 drivers, including Team Penske’s Joey Logano and RFK Racing’s Brad Keselowski, as reported by USA Today and re-shared on X by Ford CEO Jim Farley.
Other star names like Noah Gragson, actor-turned NASCAR driver Frankie Muniz, Ben Hobson, and ex-F1 driver for Williams Logan Sargeant will also be a part of this Veterans Day spectacle in Daytona.
They will be divided into six teams, with each representing a branch of the U.S. military: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. All 12 drivers will race identical Mustang Dark Horse R cars, which were designed for IMSA competition. The money raised will go directly to military and veteran organizations.
For entertainment, Ford and NASCAR have brought in country group Zac Brown Band to perform at the event.
“The Ford Proud to Honor: Veterans Day Classic is a first-of-its-kind military tribute race all in support of our service members, veterans, and their families. Six teams with some of the biggest names in Ford Racing will race to honor each branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, going head-to-head in Mustang Dark Horse R’s to compete in fierce, friendly competition. For one night only. See you November 11!” the band posted on X.
It’s not the Zac Brown Band’s first involvement with the military and NASCAR either. Earlier this year, during the Anduril 250 weekend in Coronado, he performed a concert for 1,500 active military personnel and their families. The year before, they headlined the 2025 NASCAR Chicago Street Race.
Zac Brown’s connection to the military began in college through friends who had served. While living with a Marine, he wrote the final verse of “Chicken Fried,” which honored those who had served and sacrificed. Since then, supporting veterans has remained important to Brown.
It’s an exciting event that will serve as the de facto curtain-closer for the 2026 season, which otherwise would have ended at Homestead with the Championship finale on November 8. Cup Series drivers Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, and Noah Gragson will head to Florida for the exhibition almost immediately afterward.
These efforts are not new for NASCAR. The sport has long shared a close connection with the U.S. military, and 2026 has simply given it another chance to put that relationship front and center.
A year of celebrating America and the U.S. Military in motorsports
2026 is a special year for Americans. Sporting events across the country have joined the celebrations with larger-than-life events honoring the nation’s 250th anniversary. UFC hosted a Freedom 250 event on the White House’s South Lawn with President Donald Trump in attendance.
Team Penske owner Roger Penske also realized his dream of bringing IndyCar racing to the streets of Washington, D.C., with the Freedom 250 Grand Prix, again with President Trump’s support. NASCAR, meanwhile, introduced new initiatives and continued existing ones to reinforce its identity as an American sport.
Other than the Proud to Honor Veterans Day Classic and Heroes Passes, NASCAR also continued its Military Appreciation Month tradition at the Coca-Cola 600 for the 12th year. Every Cup Series car and track support vehicle carried the name of a fallen service member on its front windshield.
NASCAR also teamed up with the nonprofit Honor and Remember earlier this year to collect 1.4 million signatures from race fans by Memorial Day weekend. The goal was simple: one signature for every American service member who gave their life for the country.
Over the Fourth of July weekend at Chicagoland, teams found their own ways to honor veterans. Richard Childress Racing, for example, displayed the names of 1,438 veterans on a vehicle through its partnership with Team Rubicon and Dow.
NASCAR’s connection to the military goes all the way back to its roots after World War II, when returning servicemen used their mechanical skills to build and race stock cars. That connection has only grown over the years.
NASCAR has made its connection with the armed forces a major part of its 2026 celebrations. The Proud to Honor Veterans Day Classic is another chapter in that long-standing relationship, giving the sport one final chance to honor those who have served as the season comes to a close.