BRISTOL, Tenn. (April 15, 2018) – NASCAR Nation cast more than 100,000 votes during the last month to pick song choices for the 39 drivers who will enter The Last Great Colosseum during driver introductions for today’s Food City 500.
NASCAR’s best gladiators are prepared to do battle, beginning their routine with heart-pumping entrances that has their fans stamp of approval. Bristol Motor Speedway officials worked with each Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver and teams to identify three songs that were eligible for the fan vote.
Kyle Busch, a master of the iconic East Tennessee half-mile, has won a lot at Bristol (20 wins across NASCAR’s top three series and six in Cup), so it was only fitting that the fans chose “All I Do Is WIN” by DJ Khalid, which received 47 percent of the vote. The 2015 Cup Series Champion swept the August Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race week last year and will take today’s 1 p.m. green flag from the pole.
Brother Kurt Busch, who has a not-to-shabby five Cup wins at Bristol, qualified second and will enjoy the fans choice. Nicknamed the Outlaw, fans chose Chris Stapleton “Outlaw State of Mind,” garnering 47 percent.
Fans of seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson decided to honor him in style. The two-time and defending Food City 500 winner will have his “Seven Nation Army” with him as The White Stripes classic earned 50 percent.
Chase Elliott has perhaps the most unique driver intro song. The fans went to bat for the Elliott family, voting for “A Crazy Racin’ Man” by Bill Elliott, a song off the 1983 album Stock Car Entertainers of the Year. The song garnered 58 percent of the vote.
William Byron and Trevor Bayne will have school spirit for their walkouts. Byron, a Liberty University student, will enter to “Fan the Flames” (41 percent of the vote), while Bayne, a Knoxville native, will get the crowd going with “Rocky Top” (60 percent), representing the orange and white of the University of Tennessee.
Two-time Bristol winner Kevin Harvick may have the most ironic song choice in the field. Harvick will be using the Pharrell song “Happy,” but the driver of the No. 4 is starting 39th. It remains to be seen whether Harvick will be a happy camper at The Last Great Colosseum.
Other top highlights included Brad Keselowski (The Beach Boys’ “Little Deuce Coupe”), Ryan Blaney (Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues”), Daniel Suarez (“Speedy Gonzalez” by Pat Boone) and Chris Buescher (“Pork and Beans” by Weezer, an ode to his sponsor for the race, Bush’s Beans).
Kyle Busch | “All I Do is WIN” by DJ Khaled, 47 percent |
Kurt Busch | “Outlaw State of Mind” by Chris Stapleton, 47 percent |
Brad Keselowski | “Little Deuce Coupe” by The Beach Boys 40 percent |
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | “People Back Home” by Florida Georgia Line, 44 percent |
Ryan Blaney | “Folsom Prison Blues” by Johnny Cash, 54 percent |
Kyle Larson | “Dirt Road Anthem” by Jason Aldean, 56 percent |
Paul Menard | “R.O.C.K. in the USA” by John Mellencamp, 50 percent |
Alex Bowman | “Rise” by I Prevail, 60 percent |
Michael McDowell | “Taken it to the Streets”, by The Doobie Brothers, 66 percent |
Joey Logano | “Brass Monkey” by The Beastie Boys, 47 percent |
William Byron | “Fan the Flames” by Liberty University, 41 percent |
Daniel Suarez | “Speedy Gonzalez” by Pat Boone, 50 percent |
Erik Jones | “You Ain’t Seen Nothin Yet” by Bachman Turner Overdrive, 37 percent |
Clint Bowyer | “Country Boy Can Survive” by Hank Williams Jr., 51 percent |
Kasey Kahne | “5-1-5-0” by Dierks Bentley, 41 percent |
Chase Elliott | “A Crazy Racin’ Man” by Bill Elliott, 58 percent |
Jimmie Johnson | “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes, 50 percent |
AJ Allmendinger | “I’m Alright” by Kenny Logins, 46 percent |
Aric Almirola | “Miami Vice”, 50 percent |
Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr. | “Into The Fire” by Asking Alexandria, 65 percent |
Austin Dillon | “Cowboy” by Kid Rock, 58 percent |
Chris Buescher | “Pork and Beans” by Weezer, 42 percent |
David Ragan | “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” by the Charlie Daniels Band, 49 percent |
Matt DiBenedetto | “John Cena Theme Song”, 41 percent |
Denny Hamlin | “Forever” by Drake, Kanye West, Lil Wayne & Eminem, 45 percent |
Martin Truex Jr. | “Nothing But The Taillights” by Clint Black, 57 percent |
Ross Chastain | “Watermelon Crawl” by Tracy Byrd |
Gray Gaulding | “Danger Zone” by Kenny Loggins |
Landon Cassill | “Going to Mars” by Judah and the Lion |
Ryan Newman | “Huntin, Fishin & Lovin Every Day” by Luke Bryan, 53 percent |
Jamie McMurray | “One” by Metallica, 42 percent |
Ty Dillon | “Walk it Like I Talk It” by Migos, 51 percent |
Trevor Bayne | “Rocky Top” by the Pride of the Southland Marching Band, 60 percent |
Corey LaJoie | “Walmart Yodeling Song” |
DJ Kennington | “The Hockey Song” |
Reed Sorenson | “Motorsport” by Migos |
Harrison Rhodes | “Enter Sandman” by Metallica |
Chad Finchum | “Where I Come From” by Alan Jackson, 49 percent |
Kevin Harvick | “Happy” by Pharrell, 37 percent |
— Bristol Motor Speedway —