The Atlanta Motor Speedway debuts NASCAR music festival

Event includes Flo Rida, Candlebox, Blackberry Smoke.

Metro Atlanta has dozens of music festivals, but none are paired with cars racing at more than 200 mph.

The Atlanta Motor Speedway is hoping the combo will work with its new Revs and Riffs NASCAR Weekend Music Festival today through Sunday. The 10 acts cover bluegrass, country, Southern rock, grunge and hip-hop. The biggest names: hip-hop artist Flo Rida, 1990s rock act Candlebox, Atlanta rock band Blackberry Smoke and local country singer Mark Wills. (Tickets start at $40 for the concerts. There are separate tickets for the races.)

“We want to build something new and different,” said Brandon Hutchison, general manager at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. “And for people in Atlanta, we want them to come for a staycation with gas prices the way they are.”

Flo Rida, who will appear at 1 p.m. Sunday, has had a ream of hits such as “Low,” “Right Round,” “Club Can’t Handle Me,” “Good Feelings” and “Wild Ones.” His last major appearance on stage in Atlanta was at Lakewood Amphitheatre in 2019.

Candlebox, set to perform Saturday before the big race at 3 p.m., were big during the 1990s grunge scene with songs like “You,” “Far Behind” and “It’s Alright.” The band last appeared in Atlanta at City Winery in April.

Blackberry Smoke, appearing Saturday after the race at 8:30 p.m., has a huge local following as a country-lean- ing rock band that formed more than 20 years ago. Mark Wills, who grew up in North Georgia, had a string of coun- try hits in the early 2000s, most notably his No. 1 “19 Somethin’.” He will hit the stage Saturday at 12:30 p.m.

Hutchison said ticket prices have not been increased to cover the cost of the musical talent. This is simply a way to draw a new audience and test a new concept, he said.

“We’re bearing the cost of entertainment to make sure those who choose to come have a good time,” he said, “We want to make some memories, cultivate new NASCAR fans and hope they want to come back.”

The capacity of the grand- stand is 71,000 with 1,100 slots for campers inside the stadium and 3,000 more outside.

COURTESY OF ROBB COHEN The first Atlanta Motor Speedway Revs and Riffs NASCAR Weekend Music Festival begins today and continues through Sunday featuring 10 acts including Blackberry Smoke (clockwise from top left), Flo Rida and Candlebox.