One of the coolest aspects of a NASCAR race at Bristol Motor Speedway also can be one of the weirdest.
Prior to each race at Bristol, drivers get to select — or have others select for them — introduction songs. As you can imagine, the results typically are all over the place.
For every song/intro that’s hilarious and/or interesting, there are a handful of others that either boggle the mind or cause it severe pain — or both. Unfortunately for NASCAR fans, there were plenty of cringe-worthy moments before the Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race at Bristol on Saturday.
Here’s a list of every driver in Saturday’s race, and their corresponding intro song:
Now, let’s talk about some of these.
— Erik Jones — “All I Do Is Win” by DJ Khaled
– Are you referring to the zero wins you have in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series? (Let’s keep the Xfinity Series out of this.)
— Chase Elliott — “Chevy Don’t Let Me Down” by Jeff Bates
– Except the time your No. 24 Chevrolet died during the Brickyard 400, Mr. Elliott.
— Martin Truex Jr. — “That’s How We Do ‘Round Here” by Florida Georgia Line.
– Couple things here. There’s a lyric in this song that reads, “I’m gassing up the Chevy.” Last time we checked, Truex pilots the No. 78 Toyota Camry. But more importantly, this song boils down to two guys talking about life in Nashville, which Truex, a New Jersey native, certainly can’t relate to. But hey, the band called themselves “Florida Georgia Line,” so everyone here seems to be suffering from an identity crisis.
— Ryan Blaney — “Life Ain’t Fair & The World Is Mean” by Sturgill Simpson
– Right, cause having a father who raced on NASCAR’s top level didn’t benefit you.
— Kyle Busch — “Thunder” by Imagine Dragons
– NASCAR’s most hated driver coming out to a song by perhaps the most nauseating band on Planet Earth. Perfect.
— Kevin Harvick — “Happy” by Pharrell
– This guy’s sounded pretty unhappy lately, if you ask us.
— Cole Whitt — “Baby Got Back” by Sir Mix-a-lot
– Call us Scrooges, but this joke is so played out.
And then there were these:
— Matt DiBenedetto — “Gon’ Give It To Ya” by DMX
— J.J. Yeley — “I Got You Babe” by Sonny & Cher
OK, those last couple intros were pretty decent. But on the whole, pretty awkward night under the lights.
Look, it’s pretty clear most of these drivers know how to throw a good party. Just make sure they don’t get anywhere near the iPod.
Thumbnail photo via Randy Sartin/USA TODAY Sports Images
