In “Top Gun” Goose and Maverick talk about their “need for speed”.  NASCAR depends on speed as the drivers race around the track.  But on January 2 NASCAR will join a long line of slow moving vehicles and people when they join the annual Tournament of Roses Parade to help kick of NASCAR’s 75th anniversary.

Every float in the Rose Parade must be covered in live flowers and other herbage.  Crews spend two and three days applying all of the seeds, petals, and leaves by hand to construct the floats.

The theme of the float is “Always Forward” and will traverse the 5.5 mile parade route as a part of the annual celebration of the New Year and the annual Rose Bowl.

NASCAR Vice President of Marketing Services Patrick Rogers spoke on the historic event saying, “we’re We’re beyond thrilled to be participating in such an incredible spectacle as the Rose Parade.  There’s truly no better way to enter NASCAR’s 75th year than by celebrating at an event that brings people together through immense creativity and color. With a theme that so closely resembles the growth of our sport and organization, I can’t wait to see our float come to life in the new year.”

The float that will celebrate the beginning of the season with the Busch Light Clash which returns to the Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles is 25 feet high and is 55 feet long.  It will feature the entrance to the Coliseum, drivers racing for the checkered flag surrounded by flags, ribbons, palm trees, and the NASCAR 75th anniversary logo.

Light and dark sesame seeds, Green Tea leaves, carnation petals, red cranberry seeds, black seaweed, rice, orange lentils, poppy seeds, blue statice, yellow strawflower, roses, and ground green split peas will all be used to create the iconic float.

NASCAR is partnering with Artistic Entertainment Services to build the float.