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Atlanta Motor Speedway has announced three performers - Richie McDonald, Craig Campbell and Chris Hatfield - for the Aflac Pre-Race Show prior to the running of the Kobalt Tools 500 on Sunday, March 8.

McDonald, the former lead singer for platinum-selling band Lonestar, will sing the National Anthem, while Campbell and Hatfield will perform mini-concerts as part of the Aflac Pre-Race Show.

McDonald gained national attention with Lonestar whose crossover hit “Amazed” reached number one on both the country charts and the Billboard Hot 100, the first song to do so since 1983. In 2007, the Texas native opted to leave Lonestar and pursue a solo career.

Campbell made a name for himself touring with country music star Tracy Byrd as his full-time keyboardist. After spending two years on the road with Byrd, the south-Georgia native branched out to develop a solo career as a country songwriter.

Newly signed with Carl Edwards’ record label, Back40 Records, Hatfield recently opened for Gavin DeGraw at a NASCAR fan event in New York City.

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“Rocket Man” Newman Looks to Speed Into AMS Record Book: Having won the pole at Atlanta Motor Speedway seven times previously, Ryan Newman will attempt to make history on Friday, March 6 during Georgia Power Qualifying Night when he looks to become the all-time leader in pole wins at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Accustomed to leading the field to the green flag in Atlanta, Newman, known as the “Rocket Man” for his qualifying prowess, will not only be chasing history, but also his mentor with whom he is tied in pole wins, Buddy Baker.

“Atlanta has always been a place where I like to qualify, and it would be an honor to get the all-time pole record there,” said Newman.

“It would be an honor to beat Buddy Baker in all-time poles at Atlanta Motor Speedway,” Newman continued. “Atlanta is a place where I enjoy qualifying and I have a great record there. I am really looking forward to trying to claim the all-time qualifying record.”

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SCC To Auction NASCAR Ride-Alongs Prior to Kobalt Tools 500: In a charitable fundraising effort for the Atlanta chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities, NASCAR fans can bid to ride around Atlanta Motor Speedway with their favorite NASCAR Sprint Cup driver.

The Speedway Children’s Charities Ride-Along Auction features 25 of NASCAR’s top stars and fans can bid for the opportunity to ride around the high banks of Atlanta Motor Speedway in a Chevrolet Corvette convertible prior to the running of the March 8 Kobalt Tools 500. In addition, the winning bidder and a guest will receive a pre-race cold pit tour.

To bid on the any of the 25 Speedway Children’s Charities Ride-Along Auctions, fans should visit the Sports Memorabilia Autograph Original category at http://shop.ebay.com/merchant/scc4kids or by searching for seller “SCC4kids”.



Proceeds from the Speedway Children’s Charities Ride-Along Auction will benefit children’s organizations in the greater Atlanta area through Speedway Children’s Charities, in addition to various driver-selected organizations including Shriner’s Children’s Hospital, the Jimmie Johnson Foundation, the Dale Jr. Foundation, the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation, Cerebral Palsy, the Jeff Gordon Foundation and Make-A-Wish.