Admission to See the Legendary Fast Fiddle Player is Free with the Purchase of a GEICO 500 Ticket
TALLADEGA, AL – Talladega Superspeedway is excited to announce that legendary Southern rocker – Charlie Daniels – and The Charlie Daniels Band will perform as the headliner for the traditional Saturday Night Infield Concert, May 6, as part of the much-anticipated motorsports triple-header weekend (May 5-7), featuring the GEICO 500.
The country rock legend and longtime NASCAR fan has been a household name since the 1970s. He is known for hits like “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” “Long Haired Country Boy,” and “Uneasy Rider,” but being a devoted fan of racing he even recorded a song about Talladega Superspeedway’s all-time winner and one of his favorite drivers, Dale Earnhardt Sr. The song is titled “The Intimidator,” which was inspired after Daniels and Earnhardt met for the first time at Talladega’s Alabama 500 on Oct. 15, 2000, the last victory of the iconic driver’s career.
The Charlie Daniels Band will take to the stage for the ‘Dega faithful inside NASCAR’s “Party Capital” just off of historic Talladega Blvd. merely hours after a day of monumental racing with the Sparks Energy 300 NASCAR XFINITY Series race. Admission to the Saturday Night Concert is free with the purchase of a race ticket to Sunday’s GEICO 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race.
Fans can experience the concert at a lower cost with Talladega’s advanced-ticket options, which are on-sale for both the GEICO 500 and Sparks Energy 300 for a limited time. These prices are available for a limited time and include $10 off regular pricing for the GEICO 500 (which gives admission to Saturday Night Concert) and $5 off regular pricing for the Sparks Energy 300. Two-day ticket packages for both Saturday and Sunday start at only $50
In August 2016, Daniels released a new album, Night Hawk, which stays true to the sounds of blended genuine music that he is known for. The new album continues his traditional and unique spin on cowboy songs – both well-known and uncovered – through the years. Its release came amid one of the most important years of his incredible career, as he became the newest inductee in the Country Music Hall of Fame, along with Randy Travis and Fred Foster.
“Race fans expect our Saturday night infield concerts to be as electrifying as the racing action on the track,” said Talladega Superspeedway Chairman Grant Lynch. “The Charlie Daniels Band is iconic and provides a unique flavor of music that has been at the forefront of Southern country rock. It will definitely be a show fans don’t want to miss. I know that I can’t wait!”
Raised among the longleaf pines of North Carolina, Daniels began his career playing bluegrass music with the Misty Mountain Boys. After moving to Nashville in 1967, it wasn’t long before his unique voice as an artist emerged a name for himself on the country music scene. Two years later he formed The Charlie Daniels Band where the group scored its first top ten hit “Uneasy Rider.” With 50-plus years of genre-defining southern rock anthems, CMA Award-winning country hits and being an astute businessman with the launch of Blue Hat Records in 1997, few artists have left a more indelible mark on America’s musical landscape than Daniels.
The Charlie Daniels Band continues the tradition of incredible musical talent that has performed the Saturday Night Infield Concert at Talladega. Free tram transportation – both into the track prior to the concert and back outside the track after the concert – is provided for Sunday grandstand ticket holders.
The Talladega weekend kicks off Friday, May 5 with a full slate of on-track activity which includes practice sessions for the Sparks Energy 300 and GEICO 500 plus practice, qualifying and the drop of the green flag of the General Tire 200 for the ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards. The General Tire 200 is set for a 5:00 pm (CDT) start. Friday night the track will host the “Big One on the Blvd” parade and fan competitions, featuring an array of NASCAR drivers and loads of hysterical fun.
Saturday’s activities (May 6) feature NASCAR XFINITY and Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series qualifying, along with the start of the Sparks Energy 300 at 12:00 pm (CDT). Later in the evening, the Saturday Night Infield Concert gets underway, featuring The Charlie Daniels Band. Sunday’s GEICO 500 (May 7) is set for a 1:00 pm (CDT) start.
For ticket information for all three days of activities, log on to www.talladegasuperspeedway.
About Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega Superspeedway is NASCAR’s Most Competitive Track (record 88 lead changes in 188 laps), most banked (33 degrees), and longest (2.66 miles), as well as the most fun and fan-friendly, offering up hundreds of acres of free camping, amazing kids ticket prices and special offers for military members and college students. The historic venue, built in 1969, is NASCAR’s “Party Capital” thanks to the track’s infamous infield, which features the traditional Saturday Night Concert and the world renowned Talladega Blvd, home of the “Big One on the Blvd” party. It is the site of the most comfortable seats in motorsports, large video viewing boards lining the frontstretch and endless activities for fans throughout its event weekends. Talladega Superspeedway’s next NASCAR weekend is set for May 5-7 with the Sparks Energy 300 NASCAR XFINITY Series race and the GEICO 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series event, in addition to the General Tire 200 for the ARCA Racing Series. Log on to www.talladegasuperspeedway.
