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DJ Khaled could become the next major celebrity to own a stake in a NASCAR team. Khaled expressed a desire to join NASCAR as a team owner ahead of the Daytona 500. The artist was scheduled to serve as the honorary starter of Sunday’s race, NASCAR’s premier event, before it was postponed due to weather.

“Absolutely I would love to be a team owner,” Khaled said, according to Road and Track. “Hopefully to have a ‘We The Best’ car one day.”

We The Best is the name of Khaled’s record label under the We the Best Music Group banner. Khaled has been nominated for 10 Grammy Awards.

Khaled’s comment on prospective team ownership appears to be solely an interest at the moment. He hasn’t previously stated an interest in NASCAR team ownership or made any publicly announced intentions to make that desire a reality.

However, if Khaled, a producer and DJ, were to throw his hat into NASCAR ownership, he would be far from the only global celebrity to do so. Nor would he be the only musician.  

Armando Christian Perez, better known as Pitbull, is co-owner of Trackhouse Racing. Trackhouse fields two full-time cars in the Cup Series, the No. 1 of Ross Chastain and Daniel Suarez’s No. 99. The team also runs a limited schedule for its Project 91 initiative. Formula One champion Kimi Raikkonen and V8 Supercars four-time champ Shane van Gisbergen have piloted the No. 91 car.

Pitbull performs ahead of the 2022 NASCAR Clash at the Coliseum
Pitbull | Kevin Winter via Getty Images

Basketball legend Michael Jordan is co-owner of 23XI Racing alongside driver/owner Denny Hamlin. Jordan, a six-time NBA champion and five-time MVP, said he grew up a NASCAR fan in his and the sport’s home state of North Carolina. Hamlin and Jordan, who previously were friends, founded 23XI Racing in 2020. 23XI fielded one car in its debut 2021 season, the No. 23 of Bubba Wallace. It has since expanded to include Wallace’s Toyota and Tyler Reddick’s No. 45 Camry.

Jordan’s fellow NBA Hall of Famer, Brad Daugherty, is an owner with JTG Daugherty Racing, which fields Ricky Stenhouse’s No. 47. Daugherty also previously owned a Truck Series team.

More recently, boxing legend Floyd Mayweather became a NASCAR team owner. Mayweather is co-owner of The Money Team. The team has competed on a part-time basis in the Cup Series over the last two seasons, including four races in 2022. The team is reportedly starting its 2024 campaign at the March 3 Las Vegas race.

As such, Khaled could be “Another one” of the celebrities who own a NASCAR team if he follows through on his ambition.  

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Joe Parker

Joe Parker is an expert in new cars, trucks, and SUVs — particularly their driving dynamics, features, and real-world pragmatism — gleaning his first-hand perspectives through his testing and reviewing of hundreds of new models since 2018.

His motorsports coverage reflects his hands-on hours behind the wheel. A recipient of over 20 awards from several state and national journalism associations, Joe is a member of the Greater Atlanta Automotive Media Association (GAAMA) and the Southeast Region Automotive Media Association (SERAMA).