Daytona 500 plans pre-race concert

Country artist Luke Combs will perform live when the NASCAR season opens Feb. 14.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. » NASCAR will attempt some normalcy at the season-opening Daytona 500 with a live pre-race concert — the first big performance at a track during the pandemic — featuring country music star Luke Combs.

Combs, who performed virtually for NASCAR’s season finale in November, has not done a live show since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March. NASCAR, which prides itself on its elaborate pre-race pomp and entertainment, has not had a major live performance since PitBull and Blake Shelton performed in the final race before sports were halted.

“I can’t wait to feel that energy again; man, I miss it,” Combs wrote in an email to The Associated Press. “It’s the first live show I’ve played since March of 2020, and I’d say it’s pretty dang huge.”

The NASCAR season opens Feb. 14 at Daytona International Speedway, where the Daytona 500 will conclude a week of racing. The 63rd running will be held in front of limited spectators, but officials wanted to continue some of the traditions surrounding “The Great American Race.”

“The tradition of the Daytona 500 prerace show has been an incredibly popular hit with race fans,” track president Chip Wile said. “Luke has been one of the most influential country music stars over the last few years and his fan appeal is incredible. It’s a bonus, too, that he loves our sport.”

Born in Charlotte, N.C., but raised in Asheville, N.C., Combs made NASCAR races a weekly viewing staple alongside his grandfather.

Singer-songwriter Luke Combs speaks in the press room after winning awards for male vocalist of the year and song of the year at the 53rd annual CMA Awards in 2019,