Dierks Bentley to Headline the Pre-Race Show at Daytona 500
Dierks Bentley has been announced as a performer at this year's Daytona 500 race on Sunday, Feb. 19. The "Gold" star will hit the stage just before the race — which is now in its 65th iteration — kicks off.
"I'm ready to get back to Daytona with all the biggest NASCAR fans," says Bentley, who previously performed at the Daytona 500 in 2011. He also performed during Speedweeks in 2009, as well as at 2021's NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at Phoenix Speedway.
"The energy there is unmatched and I know we will have a blast getting them ready for the race," the singer adds.
According to Daytona International Speedway's website, Bentley's performance will be the culmination of a variety of pre-race events, which begin Feb. 15 with the Daytona 500 Qualifying Presented by Busch Light. More preliminary races will take place that week, and the festivities will also include the return of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series on Feb. 17.
Bentley will perform on pit road, and fans can watch his concert from the grandstands, but UNOH Fanzone Pass-holders will be able to see his set up close. There's also a special VIP add-on available for racegoers who want to watch the concert right next to the stage. Tickets and passes to the Daytona 500 are currently on sale.
February is shaping up to be a big month for Bentley, who will drop Gravel & Gold — his 10th studio album — on Feb. 24. When he announced that project, the singer revealed that the new music was a long time in the making: He scrapped his work and started over not once, but twice during the process, determined to make his landmark 10th record the best it could possibly be. Ashley McBryde and Billy Strings have been announced as guest vocalists on the project.