Keith Urban turns Daytona 500 into "Days of Thunder from Down Under"

Country music star Keith Urban performed a surprise two-song set for reporters to kick off his day at the Daytona 500, where he was the featured artist for Sunday's pre-race concert.

"First time playing a press room," he quipped before launching into "Sister Golden Hair" by America.

Read the entire story about Keith and the race HERE.

Montgomery Gentry will headline Sound & Speed in Nashville

Montgomery Gentry will headline the kickoff concert of the Sprint Sound & Speed Presented by SunTrust at 8:00 p.m. on Jan. 9 at the Sommet Center.

The festival begins the next day at Municipal Auditorium, where racing and country music fans can interact with drivers, team owners and entertainers through autograph and story-telling sessions. NASCAR stars confirmed to attend are Dale Earnhardt Jr., Michael Waltrip, Reed Sorensen and David Stremme. Others confirmed for the sessions are Josh Turner, Jason Michael Carroll, members of Diamond Rio and Rick Huckaby.

Concert tickets are $17.50-$35 and will go on sale Dec. 12 through Ticketmaster and http://www.soundandspeed.org/. Festival tickets, which are $20 for adults and $15 for children, are on sale now. A combo ticket for both events will range from $40 to $50.

The fourth annual event benefits the Victory Junction camp and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

Tickets now on sale for Sound & Speed concert

Tickets are on sale for the 2008 Sprint Sound & Speed Presented by SunTrust festival, which for the third consecutive year will bring together stars of country music and NASCAR and concludes with a concert extravaganza headlined by Grammy-winning, multi-platinum-selling recording artist Alan Jackson, with special guests Taylor Swift and Jason Michael Carroll, and other top country music performers at Nashville's Sommet Center.

Fans of country music and racing have two blockbuster events on Jan. 12 in the Sommet Center: the annual Backstage Garage Pass festivities, where they can get up-close-and-personal with NASCAR and country music stars for autographs, story-telling and question-answer sessions from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST, and the concert at 8 p.m. headlined by Jackson and special guests Swift and Carroll. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster and the Sound & Speed Website.

Tickets are $39.50 for the concert, $20 for the Backstage Garage Pass event, or $54.50 for both events.

Pepsi 300 NASCAR Busch Series at the Nashville SuperSpeedway

Through the hotel that I work at I received some VIP passes for the Pepsi 300 NASCAR Busch Series. I had never been to a car race before and so I wasn't sure what I was in for but what everyone kept telling me was, "it's loud." We missed the beginning of the race since I got off work at the same time that the race started. We drove out to the Speedway and ask around until we found out where we were to park. Finally getting to our parking area was a relief but than we found out we had to ride a trolley over to the will call office to pick up our passes. We got there just minutes after the they had closed and I spent the rest of the race trying to find out how to get our passes.

The rest of our group went ahead and found some good seats in the stands to watch the race while I raced around the track time and time again, on the trolley. I saw most of the race from the trolley but I did see a few minutes from the stands and it was so incredibly loud and the smell of rubber and exhaust was everywhere. I still don't fully understand why most NASCAR fans are so rabid about the sport but it was a fun time for us all.

I just wish it had been a little warmer but hey they come back in June so maybe than I can enjoy the race in nice weather with seats VIP passes that I can actually get my hands on and enjoy the race from a comfortable area.

Something else that I saw and thought was really unusual was how many people were leaving the race with tires from the race cars. I know that is probably a thrill for race fans to be able to take home a part of the race but where do you put it? Do you make a lamp out of it, a coffee table or a chair? Another key thing to take next time...ear plugs. I realized that the quickest way to go deaf is to keep going to the races without ear plugs.

So hear is my checklist for my next race...

1. Ear plugs
2. Cooler with drinks (unless I get into the VIP area)
3. Make sure I know where I am going. (parking, seats, etc)
4. Take someone with me
5. Possibly stay to enjoy the concert afterwards (It was to cold this time around)


Thanks to Keith Coleman Racing for being kind enough for the VIP passes and being such a pleasure to work with at the hotel. Next time I take the day off and get there earlier. Maybe time I see what ESPN can do for some VIP tickets.....hmm.