GRAMMY Award Winning Country Music Singer and Songwriter Gretchen Wilson to Perform Prior to the Coke Zero Sugar 400

Wilson headlines pre-race festivities before NASCAR Cup Series regular season finale

 

Daytona International Speedway announced today that GRAMMY award winning country music singer and songwriter Gretchen Wilson will perform prior to the Coke Zero Sugar 400 this August. Wilson adds to pre-race festivities as NASCAR Cup Series drivers prepare to battle under the lights at DAYTONA.

 

“There’s nothing like the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at DAYTONA – it’s high-stakes, under the lights, and one of the most electric nights in all of NASCAR,” said Frank Kelleher, President of Daytona International Speedway. “We’re fired up to have Gretchen Wilson join us and bring her powerhouse voice to our pre-race stage. Her energy, her hits, and her presence are the perfect way to fire up the crowd before the green flag drops on the regular season finale. It’s going to be an unforgettable night at The World Center of Racing.”

 

Last August, Harrison Burton shuffled up the Playoff picture as he earned his first career Cup Series victory and the historic Wood Brothers Racing team’s 100th career Cup Series victory. Burton’s victory came by a margin of just .047 seconds over Kyle Busch in his 98th Cup Series start. This also served as the first win for Wood Brothers Racing since Ryan Blaney’s win at Pocono in 2017. With the final playoff spots up for grabs and the unpredictability of superspeedway racing, drivers are looking for their “win and you’re in” moment as anything can happen at DAYTONA.

 

Harrison Burton’s upset last year at Daytona to make the playoffs pic.twitter.com/zuGzKy4KI8

— Real Racing (@alwaysrealracin) August 20, 2025

“I’ve been a NASCAR fan ever since I was a kid pulling mud out of the wheel well of my uncle’s dirt track racer with a two-by-four,” said Wilson. “There’s nothing more exciting than feeling all of that horsepower at the start of the race, and there’s no better place for that than Daytona.”

 

Wilson’s debuted in the country music scene in 2004 with “Redneck Woman” which would go on to win a GRAMMY and serve as a No. 1 hit on the Billboard country charts. The song was also the first number one country hit by a female in two years. The success of the song prompted an earlier release for the album Here for the Party which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard country chart.

 

In 2005, Wilson released her second studio album, All Jacked Up which peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 and country charts and sold 1 million copies. The title track would debut at No. 21 on the Hot Country Songs charts which set a record for the highest debut ever made by a female artist. Wilson has released five other albums over the years including One of the Boys, I Got Your Country Right Here, Right on Time, Under the Covers and Ready to Get Rowdy. Wilson’s first Christmas album, Christmas in My Heart, in 2013.

 

Wilson has accumulated numerous awards throughout her career. She received awards in 2004 for the ACM Top Female Vocalist, ACM Top New Artist and CMA Horizon Award. This was followed by her 2005 CMA Female Vocalist of the Year win. Wilson has been nominated for an astonishing 11 GRAMMY awards throughout her career.

 

The Coke Zero Sugar 400 race weekend returns Aug. 22-23, where those in attendance can witness all the intensity of superspeedway racing at DAYTONA. On Friday, the NASCAR Xfinity Series will take on the high banks of DAYTONA in the Wawa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola. The NASCAR Cup Series stars will have their last chance to fight for a playoff spot in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 on Saturday in the regular season finale.

 

source: Daytona International Speedway Media

Corey Kent Performing Busch Light Summer Music Series Pre-Race Concert at Iowa Speedway

The show highlights pre-race festivities for Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol as the NASCAR Cup Series returns to the Fastest Short Track on the Planet.

 

Country music sensation Corey Kent will bring high-octane energy to Iowa Speedway on Sunday, August 3, as part of the Busch Light Summer Music Series. The red dirt hitmaker will perform just before the green flag drops for the highly anticipated Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol NASCAR Cup Series race.

 

Known for his dynamic performances and chart-topping hits such as “Wild As Her” and “This Heart,” Kent will deliver an electrifying show on the frontstretch that blends modern country with southern rock grit. His performance will amp up the excitement for race fans and music lovers alike as they gear up for an unforgettable day of entertainment and high-speed action at the Fastest Short Track on the Planet.

 

“We’re thrilled to welcome Corey Kent to the Busch Light Summer Music Series,” said Iowa Speedway President Eric Peterson. “This performance is the perfect way to ignite a full-throttle experience for our fans leading into the Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol.”

 

Rising from the vibrant Red Dirt country scene as the embodiment of authenticity, Kent set his sights on Nashville as a teen, bringing his self-penned catalog of country-rock anthems with him. But after the loss of his first publishing deal, Kent was forced to move to Texas and get a job on a paving crew to pay the bills, yet he stubbornly refused to call music quits, with honky-tonks and dancehalls on both sides of the Red River becoming his stomping ground.

 

Fast forward a few years and the hit single “Wild As Her” proved he was right all along. An untamed tribute to a free-spirited stunner, the track re-invigorated Kent’s career as a now Triple Platinum-certified No. 1 at country radio, and the lead single off his major label album debut, Blacktop. Despite never cracking country radio’s Top 40, Kent’s trust-your-gut second single “Something’s Gonna Kill Me” went Gold, proving his message was connecting. Kent just landed his second Country Airplay Top 5 with the release of “This Heart,” and momentum has kept building, with Kent hitting the road alongside Jason Aldean, Jon Pardi, Parker McCollum and more. Next-big-thing accolades came in from CMT, Opry Next Stage and more, but even as Kent became the most played new artist on country radio for all of 2023, he kept the underdog, who-cares-about-conventional-wisdom mentality. And so did his fans.

 

For Kent, the point was that his fans have the same independent spirit he does, and he took that lesson into his next chapter. Settled into his ranch in Texas and intent on being fully present with his family while also achieving his dreams, Kent most recently released his sophomore major-label album, Black Bandana, to critical acclaim, with MusicRow Magazine describing the title track as “gently but unrelentingly uplifting.” Often seen with a black bandana around his neck, Black Bandana holds great meaning for Kent – it’s his rally cry.

 

This album is about finding balance, keeping clear eyes on what’s important – and waving that Black Bandana for all to see.

 

“The Busch Light Summer Music Series is off to an incredible start, and we’re delighted to bring Corey Kent to Iowa for what’s sure to be an unforgettable fourth show,” said Krystyn Stowe, Head of Marketing, Busch Family & Natural Family at Anheuser-Busch. “Iowa holds a special place in Busch Light’s heart-much of the corn we use in our beer is grown right here-so there’s no better place to bring together the best of racing, country music, and of course, cold Busch Light.”

 

The Iowa Speedway performance will be the fourth of five full-length concerts of the inaugural Busch Light Summer Music Series – an exciting fan experience born from the renewed partnership with NASCAR’s Official Beer Sponsor. Since the 1990s, Anheuser-Busch has created countless opportunities for 21+ NASCAR fans to get closer to the sport they love.

 

Corey Kent to perform at Iowa Speedway during first-ever Busch Light Summer Music Series https://t.co/e6WpRkJSaU

— CW Iowa 23 (@CWIowa23) June 5, 2025

Kent’s Busch Light Summer Music Series performance at Iowa Speedway is included with Sunday race admission for the Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol. That race is a major highlight on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule, and Kent’s performance adds to an already stacked weekend of speed, celebration, and summer fun.

 

 

source: Iowa Speedway Media