DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Calling all country music lovers: NASCAR, Speedway Motorsports and Anheuser-Busch announced today that two of the biggest artists of the genre — Grammy-nominated top-selling singer-songwriter Ernest and award-winning vocal powerhouse Nate Smith — will headline the first two Busch Light Summer Music Series events of the year at Texas Motor Speedway and Michigan International Speedway, respectively. The announcement comes on the heels of the news that multi-platinum southern rock group Zac Brown Band will perform as part of festivities at the Chicago Street Race on Saturday, July 5, the third event of the five-concert Summer Music Series.
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“As part of our renewed partnership with Busch Light, they’re putting a premium on finding fresh new ways to drive deeper fan engagement and enhance the entertainment and experience at the track, and the Summer Music Series does just that,” said Michelle Byron, NASCAR executive vice president and chief partnership and licensing officer. “It will be NASCAR, Busch Light and some of the biggest names in country music throughout the weekend in Texas, Michigan and Chicago. I can’t think of a better combination for the best fans in all of sports.”
To kick off the Busch Light Summer Music Series, top-selling Nashville artist Ernest, “a writer of hit songs and an emerging star in his own right” (The New York Times), has earned 13 No. 1 hits as a songwriter and several No. 1 hits on country radio. Ernest will be performing hits from his critically acclaimed albums “Flower Shops (The Album)” and “Nashville, Tennessee,” which feature collaborations with Morgan Wallen, Lainey Wilson, Lukas Nelson, Jelly Roll, Hardy and much more leading up to the green flag of the Sunday, May 4 Würth 400 NASCAR Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway. Ernest also recently co-penned the Hot 100 record-breaking single, “I Had Some Help” by Post Malone featuring Morgan Wallen that earned him a 2025 Grammy nomination.
Country vocal powerhouse Nate Smith will perform his biggest hits for fans before the NASCAR Cup Series Firekeepers Casino 400 on Sunday, June 8, at Michigan International Speedway, including multi-week no. 1 records “Whiskey on You,” “World on Fire” and “Bulletproof.” Smith has accumulated over two billion career streams, garnered multiple gold and platinum records, sold-out shows across the U.S. and received numerous nominations for best new artist from the CMA Awards, ACM Awards, CMT Awards, and iHeart Radio Awards. Most recently, Smith received the award for ACM New Male Artist of the Year, Billboard’s Rookie of the Year and Amazon’s Breakthrough Country Artist for 2024. Smith’s sophomore album, California Gold, debuted top 15 on Billboard’s Country Albums Chart. His current release, “Nobody Likes Your Girlfriend,” featuring Hardy, is out now.
“Busch Light knows our Texas and Michigan fans also share a deep passion for racing, so bringing unforgettable experiences to these iconic tracks is a no-brainer,” said Krystyn Stowe, Head of Marketing, Busch Family & Natural Family at Anheuser-Busch. “With NASCAR, we’re shifting fan engagement into high gear, uniting two of race fans’ greatest passions: country music and cold, smooth Busch Light.”
The performances at Texas Motor Speedway, Michigan International Speedway and the Chicago Street Race will be the first three of five full-length concerts at NASCAR races throughout the country, as a part of the first-ever Busch Light Summer Music Series — an exciting new fan experience born from the renewal of the long-time partnership with the “Official Beer Sponsor of NASCAR.” Since the 1990s, the Anheuser-Busch family of brands has created countless opportunities for 21+ NASCAR fans to get closer to the sport they love. This summer, the final two electrifying pre-race performances will take place at Iowa Speedway (Aug. 3) and Busch Light’s hometown of St. Louis at World Wide Technology Raceway (Sept. 7). Artists and details on these concerts will be announced at a later date.
The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season continues with the Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday, airing live on FS1 at 3:30 p.m. ET.
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