Brad Pitt returned to a racetrack Saturday night, but this time there was no movie car waiting for him.
The 62-year-old actor served as a co-grand marshal for NASCAR’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway on Sept. 19. Pitt joined Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris for the pre-race ceremony and helped deliver the command to fire engines before the 500-lap Cup Series race.
Ines de Ramon accompanied Pitt to the Tennessee track. The couple attended the drivers’ meeting before the race, while Pitt also spent time with NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon and retired NFL quarterback Russell Wilson, according to Just Jared.
The NASCAR appearance came three days after Pitt and de Ramon walked the global premiere of his new survival thriller Heart of the Beast together in Franklin, Tennessee.
Pitt Got to Give One of NASCAR’s Most Familiar Commands
Now THAT’S how you get a night started!! 🙌 🔥
Brad Pitt gives the command in Bristol! pic.twitter.com/4QbNwI8JEb
— NASCAR on USA (@NASCARonUSA) September 20, 2026
Pitt and Morris stood before the Bristol crowd as co-grand marshals and helped give the traditional command for the drivers to start their engines. NASCAR on USA later shared video of Pitt delivering the call before the field came to life.
Bristol had announced Pitt’s role earlier in September, noting an additional connection between the two grand marshals. Pitt grew up in Springfield, Missouri, the same city where Morris founded Bass Pro Shops in 1972.
Logano completed all 500 laps and won the Bass Pro Shops Night Race by 1.248 seconds over Kyle Larson, according to NASCAR’s official results. He led 93 laps on his way to the victory.
Jeff Gordon Took Pitt Around Bristol Before the Race
Pitt’s night involved more than the ceremonial start. Before the green flag, he climbed into a Corvette with NASCAR Hall of Famer and Hendrick Motorsports vice chairman Jeff Gordon for laps around Bristol’s 0.533-mile concrete oval.
Photos showed Pitt and Gordon together on the grid, while video from the track captured the pair returning to Victory Lane after their ride.
Pitt also attended the drivers’ meeting and was recognized there alongside two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden, who served as the Chevrolet celebrity pace-car driver for the night.
It was familiar territory in a different form for Pitt. His 2025 film F1 placed him around some of motorsport’s biggest events during production, but Bristol put him inside NASCAR’s pre-race traditions.
Ines de Ramon Joined Him for the Race Weekend
De Ramon’s presence continued a busy stretch of public appearances for the couple. She joined Pitt three days earlier for the Sept. 16 global premiere of Heart of the Beast at FirstBank Amphitheater in Franklin. Pitt arrived in a camouflage-print suit, while de Ramon wore a pale peach dress.
At Bristol, the couple kept the focus on the racing. Photos from the event showed them together during the drivers’ meeting before Pitt moved through the track’s pre-race activities.
The pair have been linked since 2022 and have increasingly appeared together at major public events, including film premieres and sporting events.
‘Heart of the Beast’ Opens Days After the Bristol Appearance
Pitt plays Special Forces officer James Belmont in Heart of the Beast. After a plane crash, Belmont and his combat dog, Odin, become stranded deep in the Alaskan wilderness and are forced into a fight for survival.
David Ayer directed the film, which also stars J.K. Simmons and Anna Lambe. Paramount Pictures will release it in theaters on Sept. 25.