Gordon to drive pace car at 500

DAYTONA BEACH — Four-time NASCAR champion will drive the honorary pace car for Sunday’s Daytona 500.

Gordon will lead the field to green behind the wheel of a 2017 Camaro ZL1.

Gordon, a three-time Daytona 500 champion, retired after the 2015 season and returned to drive in eight Cup races last season, subbing for the injured

“You go down the list of prestigious things I have done, this is right at the top of the list,” Gordon said. “Very, very cool. Yes, it is going to be unique because not only am I going to be doing the job I am supposed to do, pacing the field, there is a responsibility as well because the drivers rely on that pace car and that speed to get their pit road speed accurately.”

He will then resume his Fox broadcast duties with

and

Gordon will have a familiar car behind him — his old No. 24 Chevy now driven by pole winner

Earnhardt will join his Hendrick Motorsports teammate on the front row.

“Driving for Hendrick Motorsports for 23 years as a driver, to be able to lead this field in a Chevrolet Camaro but also have two Chevrolets in my rearview mirror, that makes it even more special,” Gordon said.

Gordon shared the overall win last month in the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

Other Daytona 500 prerace celebrities include (grand marshal),

(national anthem) and (pre-race concert). NFL Hall of Famer is starter and is the honorary race official. the honorary

Team Penske has locked up a major portion of its NASCAR program by signing driver crew chief and sponsor Shell-Pennzoil to extensions that run through “2022 and beyond.”

The phrasing of the new contracts announced Friday at Daytona International Speedway is a play on Logano’s car No. 22. His existing contract ran through 2018, and the extension is believed to be a five-year deal through 2023.

“This was one of those decisions that was a nobrainer,” Logano said. “When you’re able to find yourself in an amazing opportunity with a lot of winners around you, that’s great. I want to be with people who want to win as bad as me.”

The partnership with Shell extends to Penske’s IndyCar program, and

said he’s currently working on a contract extension with threetime Indianapolis 500 winner

“Helio is a fixed picture on the wall of our race team,” Penske said.

Penske is also working on an extension with Logano teammate

His current contract expires at the end of this year, and Penske said he likes to get deals done early to avoid the chaos of free agency.