Remixing The Moment

The morning of the 2025 Daytona 500 was electric. We had just wrapped soundcheck and rehearsals for The Great American Music Collective when a teammate pulled me aside and asked:

“Where did the idea for this even come from?”

That question stopped me in my tracks. I was so deep in the moment, watching this vision come to life, that I hadn’t taken time to reflect on how it all started.

Inspiration, Part 1:

Back in 2023, there was a lot of hype around the Miami Grand Prix. will.i.am and LL Cool J were teaming up for driver intros, complete with a live orchestra performing an original track called The Formula. As a creative producer, I was intrigued.

But to be honest, while it was technically impressive, it felt a bit too polished and disconnected from the raw energy of motorsport. It lacked an authentic vibe and that stuck with me.

Inspiration, Part 2:

Meanwhile, my longtime friend (and now NASCAR Music Director), Chris Stiles , had been telling me about his work performing live with full bands and how much I’d love the format. He even mentioned it to my wife, Kelly, which led her to book him for a private event in Charlotte following Jimmie Johnson’s NASCAR Hall of Fame induction.

I went to that afterparty and that night changed everything. A group of musicians who had never met played together after just one quick rehearsal… and sounded like they’d been touring for years. It was pure magic.

From Idea to Execution:

Fast forward to December 2024. I flew to D.C. for a studio day with Chris, working on music for the upcoming season. Between mixing yacht rock and hip-hop tracks, I told him: “Remember that Miami GP intro? What if we did something different for Daytona?”

I wanted to honor the tradition of the event, but with a modern twist, something fresh, cool, and unmistakably NASCAR.

Picture this:

• A live, acoustic-style backing band
• Chris mixing DJ tracks over the top
• And a legendary voice introducing each driver

That was all we needed to get started.

That same night over dinner, we started building our dream team, musicians who could perform anything, anywhere, and handle the pressure of a massive live show.

Chris immediately named names and started getting commitments:

• Glenda del E – a powerhouse pianist, vocalist, arranger, and producer who would shape the entire musical flow
• Kat Rodriguez – world-class saxophonist and leader of Beyoncé’s horn section (yes, that level of stage presence)
• Sarah Larsen, Kathryn Satoh & Zach Branch – our incredible string section, bringing violin and cello to life with precision and soul
• Crystal Torres – on trumpet, adding fire and flair to every note
• Chris Johnson – bringing depth and power on the trombone
• Sam Mitchem – guitar slinger with serious chops (we were lucky to have worked with him at the Chicago Street Race and thrilled to bring him back)
• Marcos Lopez – percussion master who carved out time from touring with Marc Anthony to sit in with us and bring the rhythm to life

With Glenda on piano and keytar, Kat on sax, and DJ Stylus Chris holding it down on the 1s and 2s, we had an all-star cast.

To bring it all together, Chris brought in his lifelong collaborator Daniel Zacharias, who helped arrange and master a reference track, essentially a musical blueprint each player could use to lock in their part.

Listen To Our Reference Track Here 🔊

Showtime

Rehearsals were tight, we only had a few weeks. But the morning before the Daytona 500, each musician showed up, met each other for the first time, and immediately found their groove. It was like catching lightning in a bottle.

A few well-earned shoutouts:

• Collin O’Loughlin – flew in to engineer the sound just for this performance
• Cliff Hutchison & Seth Parks – our Wasserman Live production partners who kept everything on track
• Daryl Motte – who crafted a beautiful script to tell the story of the event
• And Rick Allen , whose iconic voice made the moment unforgettable for 100K+ fans in the stands and 20K+ right there stage-side

Looking Back

The whole morning was a blur—but that one question, “Where did the idea come from?” stuck with me.

The truth is, this idea had been bouncing around in my brain for nearly two years. To see it fully realized with the right people, the right vibe, and on the biggest stage in racing was surreal.

In my 25 years in this business, I’ve been lucky to work on some huge shows. But I believe The Great American Music Collective has the potential to become a Daytona 500 tradition. And for that, I’m incredibly grateful to the entire Event Experience team (with Jessica Valo at the helm), and every single creative and production partner who helped bring this wild idea to life.

Let’s keep pushing. Let’s keep creating. Let’s keep raising the bar. 🏁🎶