NASCAR Bags $60M-Worth Country Star Miranda Lambert for the 2026 Daytona 500 Pre-race Show

The 68th edition of the Daytona 500 is quietly shaping up to be one of the most iconic events in NASCAR history. Jimmie Johnson has been confirmed to start, JR Motorsports will most likely field a car yet again after its 2025 debut, and more such factors have raised the bar of hype. Adding on to them is Miranda Lambert’s addition as a performer in the pre-race show.

The Daytona International Speedway announced on Sunday that the country music star will kickstart the festivities and join an elite list of past performers that includes Pitbull, Jon Bon Jovi, Luke Combs, and Mariah Carey.

Lambert is a three-time Grammy winner and the most awarded artist in the Academy of Country Music’s history. Track President Frank Kelleher noted in an official statement, “To have this level of talent with an artist such as Miranda Lambert performing our pre-race concert adds an incredible amount of energy for the 68th running of the Daytona 500.”

Lambert’s music career has spanned over 20 years, with her first big break coming with the release of an album titled “Kerosene” in 2005. She has since released nine solo albums and been a part of other collaborative projects. She has other appearances spread across the country through the summer of this year, in addition to her visit to Daytona. 

They just announced during the Niners-Eagles game that Miranda Lambert is doing the Daytona 500 pre-race concert.

— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) January 11, 2026

Notably, this is not the first time that Lambert has dipped her toes into the world of NASCAR. Back in 2012, she cast Danica Patrick as the lead in one of her music videos. 

The song was titled ‘The Fastest Girl in Town,’ and she said in an interview at the time that the NASCAR star was the first person she thought of when envisioning the song. She added, “We had so much fun playing two bad ass chicks up to no good. Danica has a really busy schedule, and I’m thrilled she was able to take time to come to Tennessee and be a part of this.”

Patrick, too, was thrilled to be a part of the video and was quite surprised that Lambert even knew who she was. This is Lambert’s second foray into stock car racing. Hopefully, it will go along just as well, and she will have as much fun performing for the racing crowd. All the action will begin on February 11 with the Daytona 500 qualifying.