This year, though, NASCAR’s surprise pick is already turning heads. Pete Hegseth, the U.S. Secretary of Defense, will serve as Grand Marshal for the 2025 Coca-Cola 600.

President Donald Trump, with his graddaughter Carolina, attends the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux) ...

Last May, as a former president and candidate for reelection, Trump attended the Coca-Cola 600 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in the swing state of North Carolina.