DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Comedian Nate Bargatze shared humor, humility, and insight during a media session ahead of his role as grand marshal at the 68th running of the DAYTONA 500 on Sunday, reflecting on nerves, career growth, and staying grounded.

Opening with self-deprecating humor, Bargatze joked about testing material on different crowds, including a line that didn’t quite land with his audience earlier this week.

“How many feet are in 500 miles? Nobody knows… which is reference to my George Washington sketch,” explained Bargatze.

Another joke about veteran driver Jimmie Johnson leaving his blinker on all race—earned a better response.

Ultimately, Bargatze said he learned to trust himself.

“I think you just need to do… normal… and just do the right thing.”

After recently spending time with Kevin James, he added, “It’s about just bringing that energy and just taking in that moment.”

Staying Grounded with Fame

With fame comes opportunity, and Bargatze described the honor of being part of such a major NASCAR event as surreal.

“It’s been a dream to be asked to do this,” he said. “It’s something you can never really imagine,” looking forward to saying the four most famous words in motorsports.

When asked about handling fame and larger audiences, Bargatze emphasized awareness and normalcy. After years in Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles, he chose to return to Nashville for family life.

“I wanted her just to have as normal of a life that she could have,” he said of his daughter. “I still want to be relatable.”

He also spoke about how everyday life fuels his comedy: “Go live life. That’s the best thing for a comic.”

Sometimes, he joked, even a trip to the grocery store becomes research.

“I always tell my wife, I’ll go to the grocery store. Only when I’m trying to find material. And the other times, I’m like, well, I don’t know. I’m so busy. But then when I need material, I’m like, all right, let me go, so I can see if something happens and get a joke out of it,” he shared with his trademark humor.

Mentoring the Next Generation of Comedians

Addressing his role in mentoring younger comedians, Bargatze drew the curtain back on the pressure performers feel to produce nonstop content.

“No one can create this much content. It’s just too hard,” he said.

To counter that, he has built a development system through showcases and clean, accessible comedy, taking comedians through the old school system of building their experience.

“I just want to create a system they can rely on,” he explained.  “People come up too quick, and then they’re kind of in over their head.”

Bargatze also stressed that stand-up remains uniquely authentic in a changing technological landscape.

“It’s me talking to an audience,” he said. “It’s the most authentic thing you can do.”

As a comedian focused less on spectacle and more on consistency, family, and connection—Bargatze is hoping, as he put it, to be “rememberable for good” while enjoying a moment he once never imagined possible.

Bargatze’s family-friendly movie “The Breadwinner” opens May 29 in theaters.

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