Darius Rucker to headline NASCAR at COTA pre-race show
AUSTIN, Texas - NASCAR returns to Austin and the Circuit of the Americas and with it comes a multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning country superstar to perform on Sunday, March 26.
Officials have announced that Darius Rucker will perform his hits during a pre-race concert for the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix NASCAR Cup Series race.
Rucker will perform a full one-hour set starting at 12:45 p.m. on COTA’s frontstretch. The concert will be the centerpiece of pre-race activities for the third running of the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix, NASCAR’s first road course race of the 2023 season, which begins at 2:30 p.m. The NASCAR race will air on FOX 7.
"I’ve been a fan of NASCAR for a long time, and it’s always such a blast performing for race fans," said Rucker in a news release. "We can’t wait to get out to COTA and play some music together before the race!"
NASCAR at COTA is offering fans prime access to Rucker’s pre-race show as well as driver introductions with the purchase of a Track Pass for $75. While the pre-race concert is free with any race ticket, Track Pass holders will move stage front for a premier experience including the concert and driver introductions.
Photo credit: Neste Live!/Keith Griner
Rucker first achieved multi-Platinum status in the music industry as lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the Grammy Award-winning band Hootie & the Blowfish.
Since releasing his first country album in 2008, Rucker has earned a whole new legion of fans with four No. 1 albums on the Billboard Country chart and 10 No. 1 singles on Country radio. He has 11 Gold, Platinum, or multi-Platinum hits including "Wagon Wheel".
Inducted as a Grand Ole Opry member in 2012, Rucker won his third career Grammy for Best Solo Country Performance in 2014. He co-hosted the 54th annual CMA Awards in 2020 and topped the charts on Country radio once again with "Beers And Sunshine" in 2021.
Rucker's forthcoming album, Carolyn’s Boy, is expected later this year.
How to get tickets to Darius Rucker and NASCAR
Following Rucker’s performance, fans can look forward to driver introductions and on-track competition among 40 NCS drivers, including fan-favorites Chase Elliott, Kyle Busch, Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, last year’s EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix winner Ross Chastain and more.
The EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix, culminates a three-day event that features the NCS, NASCAR Xfinity (NXS) and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS).
The weekend kicks off Friday, March 24 with FEVO Friday which includes practice and qualifying for the NXS and NCTS. Saturday, March 25, is action-packed with NCS qualifying, the NASCAR Xfinity Series 250 race, and XPEL 225 NCTS race.
Tickets for the March 24-26 NASCAR at COTA triple header weekend are on sale now at NASCARatCOTA.com.
Three-day weekend packages for adults including the Darius Rucker pre-race concert start at just $99 and just $10 for kids 12 and under.
For more details, visit the NASCAR at COTA website.