Welch gives invocation at Daytona 500

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (BP) — Bobby Welch continued one of the Daytona 500’s founding traditions by voicing the invocation prayer at the 50th running of the NASCAR race Feb. 17.

“It was an auspicious occasion,” said Welch, who enjoyed countless visits to the world-famous track during his 32 years as pastor First Baptist Church in Daytona Beach. Welch now is the SBC Executive Committee’s strategist for global evangelical relations.

Allotted only 25 seconds to pray, Welch said that was “long enough for God to hear and answer our prayer that He would protect all the drivers and we’d have a safe race.”

Recalling a local news report, Welch said the France family started the tradition of an invocation prayer at the inaugural Daytona 500 race when they carried their family Bible to the track and prayed for good weather at race time in a region of Florida known for its spontaneous downpours.