Five-time GRAMMY® Award nominee will energize fans prior to the 69th running of The Great American Race
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Nov. 8, 2026) – Daytona International Speedway announced today that country music superstar Thomas Rhett will perform the 2027 DAYTONA 500 pre-race concert. The five-time GRAMMY® Award nominee will energize fans prior to the 69th running of The Great American Race.
“There’s an energy at Daytona on DAYTONA 500 Sunday that’s difficult to describe until you’ve experienced it,” said Frank Kelleher, President of Daytona International Speedway. “The anticipation builds throughout the day, and by the time the engines fire, there’s nothing quite like it in sports. Thomas Rhett brings tremendous energy to the stage, and we couldn’t be more excited to have him help build that momentum as we get ready for the 69th running of The Great American Race.”
Thomas Rhett’s list of accolades in the country music scene is nothing short of spectacular. He’s garnered 22 billion streams and a plethora of awards – eight ACM Awards including 2020 “Entertainer of the Year,” two CMA Awards, five GRAMMY® Awards nominations, plus trophies from the CMT Music Awards, Billboard Awards and iHeartRadio Awards. In addition, Thomas Rhett also has five CMA Triple Play awards for penning three No. One songs within a 12-month period.
Thomas Rhett is entering his next era of music with new single “Be There In A Minute,” released on Friday (11/6). The track follows his latest album ABOUT A WOMAN (Deluxe), the expanded version of his “best work yet” (Country Living), now comprised of 25 songs including collaborations with Lanie Gardner, Blake Shelton, Teddy Swims, Tucker Wetmore and 25th No. 1 single “Ain’t A Bad Life (ft. Jordan Davis)”. Thomas Rhett was busy this summer with THE SOUNDTRACK TO LIFE tour visiting over 20 cities and bringing his good-time energy to the stage.
The action begins on Saturday, February 13, with the Wheatley Vodka Clash At DAYTONA and continues Wednesday, Feb. 17, with DAYTONA 500 Qualifying Presented by Busch Light, setting the field for the Duel At DAYTONA, which occurs the following night on Thursday, Feb. 18, where drivers will battle it out for a spot in the coveted Great American Race.
The season-opening races for all three NASCAR national series, as well as the ARCA Menards Series, kick off on Friday, Feb. 19, with the NASCAR FedEx Freight Truck Series Fresh From Florida 250. Saturday, Feb. 20, will feature an action-packed double-header with the ARCA Menards Series race followed by the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series United Rentals 300.
Then Sunday, Feb. 21, Thomas Rhett will get the party started for fans and drivers before the NASCAR Cup Series takes on the high banks in the 69th running of the DAYTONA 500.
For more information regarding the DAYTONA 500 and Speedweeks Presented by AdventHealth, please visit www.DAYTONA500.com.
About Daytona International Speedway
Daytona International Speedway is a state-of-the-art motorsports facility and was awarded the SportsBusiness Journal’s prestigious Sports Business Award for Sports Facility of the Year in 2016. Daytona International Speedway is the home of The Great American Race – the DAYTONA 500. Though the season-opening NASCAR Cup Series event garners most of the attention – as well as the largest audience in motorsports – the approximately 500-acre motorsports complex, also known as the World Center of Racing, boasts the most diverse schedule of racing on the globe. Some of the exciting racing events include January’s Rolex 24 At DAYTONA and Roar Before The Rolex 24, February’s DAYTONA 500 and Speedweeks Presented by AdventHealth, March’s Bike Week At DAYTONA Presented By GEICO, featuring DAYTONA Supercross and the DAYTONA 200, the August Coke Zero Sugar 400 weekend, and much more. The Speedway grounds are also used extensively for other events that include concerts (Welcome to Rockville, Heroes Honor Festival, etc.), sporting events (DAYTONA Soccer Fest, CLASH DAYTONA, etc.) civic and social gatherings, car shows, photo shoots, production vehicle testing and police motorcycle training.
About NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 14 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR sanctions races in three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series™, and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series™), four international series (NASCAR Brasil Series, NASCAR Canada Series, NASCAR Euro Series, NASCAR Mexico Series), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour) and a local grassroots series (NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in five cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races annually in 11 countries and more than 30 U.S. states.
For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, X and Facebook.
About Thomas Rhett
DIAMOND-certified superstar Thomas Rhett released his new single “Be There In A Minute” on Friday (11/6), a track radiating with easygoing charm and wide-open emotion. Pairing his laid-back perspective with a vocal drenched in casual country soul, Thomas Rhett has built a career fueled by equal parts energy and emotion, continually keeping fans on their toes. In just 10 years, he has gathered 25 No. Ones, 22 billion streams and armfuls of awards-eight ACM Awards including 2020 “Entertainer of the Year,” two CMA Awards, five GRAMMY® Awards nominations, plus trophies from the CMT Music Awards, Billboard Awards and iHeartRadio Awards, in addition to being recognized with five CMA Triple Play awards for penning three No. One songs within a 12-month period. He recently wrapped THE SOUNDTRACK TO LIFE U.S. tour, which launched with electrifying co-headlining stadium shows alongside Niall Horan at Nashville’s GEODIS Park and Hersheypark Stadium. Thomas Rhett will close out the year with tour dates in Las Vegas (12/10, 12/12) before heading to Mexico in January and bringing the THE SOUNDTRACK TO LIFE TOUR to the U.K. in April 2027 for headline arena dates in Manchester, London and Glasgow, marking his first headlining run in the region since 2018 and bringing the “unparalleled energy” (American Songwriter) that has made his live show one of country music’s most sought-after experiences. For updates and to learn more, visit ThomasRhett.com and connect on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook.
