2013 Daytona 500: Duck Dynasty star Willie Jess Robertson gains new respect for NASCAR drivers at Daytona

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Some of the biggest personalities in pop culture and Hollywood attend the Daytona 500 each season and the 2013 running of the Great American Race is no different.

Amongst those in attendance is the cast of the A&E reality television show Duck Dynasty, who will serve as honorary officials for the race, which kicks off at 1:29 p.m.

The show's narrator and Duck Commander CEO Willie Jess Robertson has spent the past few days in Central Florida, hanging out at the Washington Nationals' Spring Training facility before moving on to Daytona on Sunday. While there, he got in a round of golf but was humorously asked to leave the property for what the course deemed inappropriate attire.

He did not specify the course that kicked him out.

"Yeah, I was probably not prepared to play golf," Robertson said. "My attire wasn't quite up to their standards."

Robertson is also good friends with NASCAR driver Clint Bowyer and the two raced a pair of camouflaged limousines on the popular television. Robertson, a Harding University graduate, would not spill the results but said he "got Clint pretty good."

The Duck Dynasty star also has a newfound respect for NASCAR drivers following Saturday's Nationwide Series accident. He said that he had always thought anyone could do it but changed his mind after watching the massive accident that sent part of a race car into the grandstands and injured 28 fans.

"I'm guessing that's pretty rare and I hope the fans are okay," Robertson said. "That's what makes this exciting, especially on that last stretch. I've always told Clint that I can go out there and race and I got a text asking if I was sure about that this morning and it really changed my mind."

Other stars featured in today's festivities include Grand Marshal James Franco, fresh off his filming of Disney's Oz prequel. Also attending and singing the National Anthem is the Zac Brown band. Recently retired Super Bowl winning linebacker Ray Lewis is expected to wave the green flag once the race kicks off at 1:29 p.m.