NASCAR returns after a week off to relax before heading into the summer slate of races. All three series will be in action in Music City for races at Nashville Superspeedway.
Between the Grand Ole Opry, the Boulevard and much more, Nashville has become a hot spot for entertainment, including the year-end NASCAR awards.
Here is who will be appearing at the track this weekend.
TV Broadcast: If you look for the race on FOX or FOX Sports 1, you won’t find it this weekend. NBC Sports now takes over for the rest of the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity series season. Commentators Rick Allen, Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte and Dale Earnhardt Jr. return for the network’s ninth consecutive season since its return in 2015.
Honorary Pace Car Driver: Grammy-nominated comedian Nate Bargatze will pace the field prior to the Ally 400 on June 25. Bargatze had his own Netflix series The Standups in 2017 and also hosts his own podcast “Nateland.”
Grand Marshal: Country band Old Dominion will give Cup drivers the command to start their engines. Old Dominion recently received its sixth consecutive Academy of Country Music Award for Group of the Year, which was also its eighth-straight nomination. Additionally, they have recorded seven No. 1s on Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart.
Pre-Race Concert: Award-winning country singer and songwriter Parker McCollum headlines the pre-race concert prior to the Ally 400. McCollum was named the 2022 ACM New Male Artist of the Year and has No. 1 platinum-selling hits.
Nashville Honoring Carl Edwards: Recently named to NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers list, Carl Edwards will return to the scene at Nashville this weekend. Edwards will be recognized on the fan zone stage and participate in pre-race festivities. He earned five Xfinity wins at the 1.3-mile track, as well as one NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victory.
Entering his fifth year with Frontstretch, Luken Glover is the author of The Underdog House, shedding light on the motivation and performance of NASCAR's dark horse teams as they strive to fight to the top. Additionally, Glover reports for the site at various events, and he contributes in the video editing department.
A 2023 graduate of the University of the Cumberlands, Glover is a middle school math and PE teacher, as well as a basketball coach. He is passionate about serving in his church, playing/coaching a wide variety of sports, and researching motorsports history.