LOS ANGELES – NASCAR announced today that world renowned stand-up comedian, actor, and producer Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias will serve as the Grand Marshal for the NASCAR Mexico Seres‘ inaugural King Taco La Batalla en El Coliseo on Sunday, Feb. 4, the precursor to NASCAR‘s third-annual Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum. His command will follow the performance of the Mexican national anthem by Mariachi Rams, the first Mariachi band of an NFL team with the Los Angeles Rams.
“Who better to kickstart this historic event than an amazing comic like Gabriel Iglesias,” said Ben Kennedy, NASCAR‘s Senior Vice President, Racing Development and Strategy. “With his illustrious TV and stand-up catalog combined with his Southern California upbringing and Mexican heritage, we couldn‘t be more excited to have Gabriel give the command to start engines to begin a day of racing at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.”
Raised in Long Beach, Calif., Iglesias has become one of the most successful stand-up comedians in the world. He recently became the second-highest grossing touring comedian and is one of the most watched comedians on YouTube with over 1.1 billion views and over 25 million fans on social media. Iglesias‘ other distinct honors consist of being included in the Hollywood Reporter‘s “Top 40 Comedy Players” issue, serving on the cover of Variety‘s comedy issue, and being one of the few comics to ever headline and sell-out Madison Square Garden in New York, Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles and The Sydney Opera House in Australia. He was also to first comedian to perform at and sell out Dodger Stadium in 2022 to a crowd of 55,000 people. Iglesias is currently on his world Don‘t Worry, Be Fluffy Comedy Tour and will perform a special Valentine‘s Day show on 2/14 at the Kia Forum.
On TV, Iglesias is the star and executive producer of the Netflix original comedy series, Mr. Iglesias, which is currently streaming 3 seasons. He also costars Tim Allen and Eric Stonestreet in The Santa Clauses which premiered last fall.
Iglesias is no stranger to the world of NASCAR. He‘s attended several races in the past, including bringing his series “Fluffy Breaks Even” to the Daytona 500, serving as the honorary pace car driver at Sonoma Raceway, and frequently catching races at California Speedway. Now, he gets the opportunity to give the first command to “start your engines!” for the 2024 NASCAR season at the Coliseum.
On Sunday, Feb. 4, racing begins on the Coliseum‘s temporary, quarter-mile asphalt track at 1:30 p.m. with the NASCAR Mexico Series‘ King Taco La Batalla en El Coliseo followed by the NASCAR Cup Series‘ Busch Light Clash at 5 p.m.
The third-annual Busch Light Clash is the NASCAR Cup Series‘ season-opening exhibition featuring the sport‘s top stars. NASCAR on FOX will once again carry the broadcast for the Busch Light Clash while the NASCAR Mexico Series Race will be on FS1, Fox Deportes, Fox Sports 3 in Mexico, and available pan regionally on Claro Sports and the D Motors channel on DirecTV.
A single ticket purchased is good for both races, and fans are encouraged to get their tickets now while supplies last by visiting www.nascarclash.com.
About NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 16 of the nation‘s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR sanctions races in three national series (NASCAR Cup Seriesu2122, NASCAR Xfinity Seriesu2122, and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Seriesu2122), four international series (NASCAR Brasil Sprint Race, NASCAR Mexico Series, NASCAR Pinty‘s Series (Canada), NASCAR Whelen Euro Series), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour) and a local grassroots series (NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series). The International Motor Sports Associationu2122 (IMSAu00ae) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championshipu2122, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races annually in 12 countries and more than 30 U.S. states. For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (‘NASCAR‘).
About The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, a living memorial to all who served in the U.S. Armed Forces during World War I, has been a civic treasure for generations of Angelenos. Located in the Exposition Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, CA, the Coliseum is a 77,500 capacity multi-purpose stadium which opened in 1923. Home to the USC Trojans, the legendary stadium has been named as one of the nation‘s 40 best stadiums to experience college football by Sporting News, and ranked USC football at the Coliseum as the nation‘s No. 3 stadium experience by StadiumJourney.com. Following a recent renovation in 2019, the stadium is now home to a newly added seven-story suite and press tower which includes luxurious suites, loge boxes, club seats, a new press box, and the rooftop 1923 Club with a 360-degree view of the Los Angeles basin; along with several upgrades including new seating, updated technology and concession stands, additional food options for guests, and much more.
The legacy of events and individuals hosted in nine-plus-decades reads like no other, including the only venue to host two Opening and Closing Ceremonies, and the Track and Field Competition for the Summer Olympics (Xth Olympiad in 1932, XXIIIrd Olympiad in 1984) and soon a third (XXXIVth Olympiad in 2028); home to college football‘s USC Trojans since 1923 and the UCLA Bruins (1928-1981); professional football‘s Los Angeles Rams (1946-1979 and 2016-2019); appearances by U.S. Presidents Franklin D Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, and Ronald Reagan; and international dignitaries such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Cesar Chavez, Pope John Paul II, the Dalai Lama, and Nelson Mandela, to name a few. Additionally, the Coliseum, designated a National Historic monument in 1984, has hosted some of the greatest acts in entertainment, including Bruce Springsteen, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Prince, and many more. For more information please visit lacoliseum.com.
