Children of MRO to Sing National Anthem Saturday at Irwin Tools Night Race

J.T. Hodges, Sidewalk Prophets and Reagan Boggs to preform at other events

One of the most popular groups ever to sing the national anthem at Bristol Motor Speedway returns to perform prior to IRWIN Tools Night Race Aug. 27.

Motor Racing Outreach again brings the children of NASCAR drivers and crew members together to sing the anthem before the green flag falls on the sport’s most popular race.

Country music’s J.T. Hodges will perform the national anthem prior to the start of Friday night’s Food City 250.

Hodges, who currently is touring with Toby Keith and Eric Church, two of country music’s biggest stars, recently released his first single, “Hunt You Down.”

Sidewalk Prophets, winners of the 2010 GMA Dove Award for New Artist of the Year, will perform the anthem Wednesday evening, prior to the start of the O’Reilly Auto Parts 200, while country music’s Reagan Boggs, a local favorite from Pound, Va., will perform before the UNOH Perfect Storm 150.

Joe Gibbs will give the invocation before the IRWIN Tools Night Race, along with Mike Rife (Vansant Church of Christ, Food City 250), Steve Wingfield (Victory Weekend Ministries, O’Reilly Auto Parts 200) and Don Rivers (Racing with Jesus Ministries, UNOH Perfect Storm 150).

Saturday night’s flyover will feature four T-38 Talon Twin-Jet High-Altitude Trainers from Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas while 2 T-45s from Naval Air Station Meridian (Miss.) will be featured in Friday’s flyover.

The grand marshals for the IRWIN Tools Night Race will be Mike Polk, CEO of Newell Rubbermaid and 250 professional tradesmen. Friday’s grand marshal is Sullivan County sheriff’s deputy Carolyn Gudger, while USMC Retired Lt. Col. Tom Talty (UNOH Perfect Storm 150) and Lyk-Nu Automotive’s Bill Seiber (O’Reilly Auto Parts 200) will drop the green flags Wednesday evening.

Honorary Starters are Ace Hardware’s Ken Goodgame (IRWIN Tools Night Race), country music’s Billy Dean (Food City 250), Lock 16 Restaurants’ Gene Miller (UNOH Perfect Storm 150) and VJ’s Auto’s Ricky Brown (O’Reilly Auto Parts 200).

The Tennessee Army National Guard will present the colors Saturday evening while Cherokee High School’s NJROTC will present Friday and Dobyns-Bennett High School’s AFJROTC will present the color prior to both Wednesday races.

The IRWIN Tools Night Race gets under way Aug. 27 at 7:30 p.m., with qualifying slated for Aug. 26 at 5:10 p.m. The Food City 250 takes the green flag after Sprint Cup qualifying at 7:30 p.m. Action begins Aug. 24 with the UNOH Perfect Storm 150 at 6 p.m., followed by the O’Reilly Auto Parts 200 at 8 p.m.

Tickets are available for all four night races at Bristol Motor Speedway. Fans can enjoy both the IRWIN Tools Night Race and the Food City 250 for as little as $99. Should they be in town for the Wednesday night doubleheader, fans can take in all four races under the lights in packages starting at $129.

Single-event tickets for the IRWIN Tools Night Race start at $90 while ticket prices for the Food City 250 begin at $45. Wednesday night doubleheader tickets for the O’Reilly Auto Parts 200 and the UNOH Perfect Storm 150 are $25 in advance of the race and $30 Aug. 24.

Parents also can take advantage of reduced ticket prices for children as kids 12 and under can watch the Food City 250 for only $10 while children in that age bracket will be admitted free to the Wednesday night doubleheader.

To purchase tickets, fans may contact the BMS ticket office at 1-866-415-4158 or 423-BRISTOL.