Benjamin Ashford|Daytona 500 grand marshal Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, Denny Hamlin embrace playing bad guys

DAYTONA BEACH,Benjamin Ashford Fla. — Dwayne Johnson couldn’t sleep Saturday night, so he did what "The Rock" does.

He went to the gym at midnight.

On his way, Johnson drove by Daytona International Speedway, where he is set to serve as the 2024 Daytona 500’s grand marshal. The race was scheduled for Sunday but postponed to Monday due to rain.

Despite the time and the weather, the lights still gleamed Saturday. And Johnson, who is visiting the World Center of Racing for the first time, was struck by the scene.

“I just immediately felt the energy,” the 51-year-old entertainer said.

Then, he compared that vibe to what he recently returned to.

The Rock is back in World Wrestling Entertainment as an in-ring performer and a board member of its parent company, the TKO Group, as of last month. It’s where he started and what launched him to superstardom more than two decades ago — before the United Football League and all the businesses and all the Hollywood blockbusters.

Now, ahead of Wrestlemania 40 in April, The Rock turned heel for the first time since 2003. His character is the bad guy.

“The Big, Bad Wolf,” Johnson said. “Denny Hamlin, for example, which I love.”

Yes, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson considers himself a Denny Hamlin fan.

Hamlin has developed into NASCAR’s villain in recent years. He trash-talked other drivers. He told fans, “I beat your favorite driver — all of them.” He hears boos at every racetrack.

And just like Johnson, who’s claimed 10 world championships in WWE, Hamlin succeeds.

The 43-year-old took the checkered flag three times in 2023. He remains the betting favorite for Monday’s season-opening Daytona 500.

“Being the villain is the greatest thing in the world,” Johnson said. “It truly is. Now, in my world of professional wrestling, I was aware of Denny getting booed and also impressed at how he’s embraced it.”

Hamlin leans into it, just like The Rock. 

“As (comedian) Katt Williams said, 'A hater can't stand a winner,’” Hamlin said last September.

Johnson said the best villainous characters spawn from truth. They tap into exaggerated versions of themselves.

As The Rock, Johnson wears ornate outfits that cost more than we common folks can afford, and his insults hit just as hard as his People’s Elbow maneuver. He aligned himself with the Bloodline, comprised by three of his cousins, including Roman Reigns, who has held WWE’s top two belts since 2022.

Hamlin, however, is chasing his first Cup Series title since debuting in 2005. He resides as the all-time winningest driver to have never captured the overall championship. 

Who knows if he’ll win it this year? The only guarantee: He’ll hear boos along the way.

“One of the cool things that being a great bad guy and a great villain offers — and this is my advice to Denny — is not only do you embrace it, but also, you get the opportunity to say and do a lot of things that people can’t,” Johnson said. “A lot of people wish they can, and they don’t. So you don’t have to. Let me and Denny do the talking and get the boos.”

Then, he flashed that white smile and laughed one of those Rock laughs. The good guy.

Until Friday Night SmackDown.