Indy 500: Country Stars Tracy Byrd and Neal McCoy at IMS
20 May 1998
INDIANAPOLIS - Two of country music's top performers - Tracy Byrd and Neal McCoy -- will perform Thursday during Coors Carburetion Day in the first concert ever at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.The Coors Carburetion Day Concert, presented by WFMS and WRTV, will start at approximately 3:30 p.m., immediately following the Coors Indy Pit Stop Challenge. Each artist will perform a one-hour set on a temporary stage just north of the Hall of Fame Museum in the infield of the Speedway.
An autograph session with both entertainers is also scheduled before the concert in Pepsi Park, located next to the museum in Indy FanFest.
Byrd's first three albums, "Tracy Byrd," "No Ordinary Man," and "Love Lessons," sold more than 3 million copies combined, and his fourth album, "Big Love," has gone gold. His latest album, "I'm From the Country," was released May 12.
Byrd enjoys golf, hunting and fishing, when not performing for his fans. His love of fishing led him to release a line of fishing lures, Tracy Byrd's Lifestyles Of The Not So Rich And Famous Crank Baits (10 cents is donated to the March of Dimes for each lure sold). He is also a spokesperson for Special Olympics International and has four Tracy Byrd Big Bass Tournaments that benefit the charity.
McCoy was recently nominated for "Entertainer of the Year" and "Video of the Year" in the fan-voted TNN Music City News Country Awards. McCoy is one of the few major artists who hits the stage without a set list, but he provides a high-energy, anything-goes concert. He loves audience participation, which usually erupts the minute the band begins playing "The Shake," McCoy's signature song. Two of his albums, "No Doubt About It" and "You Gotta Love That," have gone platinum. His "Greatest Hits" was in the Top 10 of the Billboard Country Albums chart for 19 consecutive weeks and went gold the week of Sept. 15, 1997. His most recent album, "Be Good At It," was released last October.
McCoy and his wife, Melinda, have helped to found the East Texas Angel Network (ETAN) to raise money for children with life-threatening illnesses. In only three years, ETAN has raised almost $460,000 for the children of east Texas.
General admission tickets for Coors Carburetion Day, which includes final practice for the 82nd Indianapolis 500, the Coors Pit Stop Challenge and the concert starring Byrd and McCoy, are available for $10. Tickets can be purchased at the IMS Ticket Office, located in the administration building at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, or at the gate.
