Last month NASCAR announced that for the first time in the sport’s history they would be entering a float in the annual Tournament of Roses Parade on January 2 in celebration of NASCAR’s 75th anniversary.

Last season, NASCAR kicked off the year with The Busch Light Clash on a specially made track inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and has returned for a second year to open the season in Los Angeles.  The track is currently under construction for the February 5 event.

NASCAR Vice President of Marketing Services Patrick Rogers spoke on appearing in the annual 5.5 mile parade saying, “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.”

What makes the Rose Parade special is that every float must be covered in live flora and fauna including petals, seeds, nuts, spices, and leaves.

In reference to The Clash, the NASCAR float will feature the entrance to the Memorial Coliseum including the Olympic Caldron, speedy cars, checkered flags, palm trees, and the new 75th anniversary NASCAR logo.  The float is 55 feet in length and rises 25 feet into the sky.

The flora and fauna planned to decorate the float are sesame seeds, Green Teal leaves, carnation petals, red cranberry seeds, black seaweed, rice, lentils, poppy seeds, statice, split peas, strawflower, and roses.  The cars featured on the float are the iconic number 43 car driven by Richard Petty, the number three car driven by Dale Earnhardt Sr, and the Rainbow Warrior number 24 car driven by Jeff Gordon.

Artistic Entertainment Services will build the float.

And riding atop the float surrounded by all of the flora will be “The King” himself Richard Petty.

Speaking on the 85 year old Petty, Patrick Rogers said, “nobody embodies the rich history of our sport more than Richard Petty.  He’s not only ‘The King,’ but an icon recognized around the world as one of the greatest athletes of all time. It’s an incredible honor to have him represent NASCAR on our float, and I know our fans in California will love this opportunity to hail NASCAR royalty in person.”  Over his 35 year NASCAR career, the Hall of Famer has won a total of 200 Cup Series races.  He also has seven Cup Series championships – the first to do so -, has the most poles 123, most season wins with 27, the most Daytona 500 wins with seven, has 10 consecutive wins 0 the most of any driver -, and the most race starts 1,185.