Hootie in the House at Daytona

I know his name is Darius Rucker, but he'll always be Hootie to me.

And Hootie seems to have the inside track when it comes to NASCAR. Fresh off what attendees say was a burn-the-house-down performance at the Jimmie Jam event in Charlotte this weekend, Daytona International Speedway announced today that Rucker will perform the National Anthem and a pre-race concert before the 52nd annual Coke Zero 400 on July 3.

Fans who purchase the Sprint FANZONE/Pre-Race Pit Pass along with a race ticket for the Coke Zero 400 will be able to view the 60-minute Rucker concert and also driver introductions from the grass tri-oval.

It will be Rucker’s third appearance at Daytona. He performed at the “World Center of Racing” as the leader/singer of the Grammy-winning group “Hootie and the Blowfish” at the Dale Earnhardt Tribute Concert and returned for a solo appearance at the 2002 mid-summer classic.

Rucker kicked off his solo career in country music in 2008 with the platinum selling album “Learn To Love,” which produced No. 1 hit singles “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It,” “It Won’t Be Like This For Long,” “Alright” and the Top 5 “History In The Making.” A native of Charleston, S.C., Rucker garnered the Country Music Association’s Best New Artist Award in 2009.

A special ticket package has been designed around Rucker and includes a Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola race ticket, a Sprint FANZONE/Pre-Race Pit Pass and VIP area access to Rucker’s performance. This package starts at $110.

For tickets to the Coke Zero 400 Weekend Powered By Coca-Cola, visit www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or call 1-800-PITSHOP.