As I sit here watching this week's American Idol elimination show, I'm reminded of some advice which is often proffered by the show's celebrity judges - "it's all about song choice".
That random bit of counsel wouldn't ordinarily apply to the realm of NASCAR. But at this week's Food City 500 in Bristol, it is all about song choice as each driver will be introduced to the music of their choosing.
Today, the long awaited list of driver-selected tracks was finally made public. I won't repost the entire setlist here, but there are several selections that warrant further analysis.
First off, you can't accuse Brad Keselowski of subtlety. His choice of Tom Petty's "Won't Back Down" speaks Keselowski's mind loud and clear. Message received: don't expect to see a kinder, gentler BK any time soon.
Michael Waltrip wins the award for most personally appropriate track, with his pick of "Hillbilly Bone" by Blake Shelton and Trace Adkins. Then again, Waltrip's Hillbilly isn't hidden "down deep inside" as the lyrics go - it's out there for all ya'll to see.
In the "won't my sponsor be happy?" category Martin Truex Jr. earns extra credit for his choice of the pleasantly repetitive "NAPA know-how" jingle (video below) Yet he of Extenze fame (Kevin Conway), garners a close second with his double entendre-esque choice "Big Time" by Peter Gabriel.
David Ragan will do Unadilla proud with an homage to his home state courtesy of Charlie Daniels' "Devil Went Down to Georgia." And Juan Pablo Montoya scores for his 1990s throwback "Going the Distance" by Cake (one of my favorites, for sure).
Under the heading "things that make you go hmmm," I admit I'm puzzled by Kurt Busch's "Dukes of Hazzard" song selection. Yes, the Duke Boys are ever-revered for their dirt road prowess in living rooms across America. But Busch with his Vegas swagger and glam line of sunglasses doesn't strike me as "just the good ol' boy" type. However, maybe there's more to Kurt than meets the eye.
As of post time, the only drivers left to announce their intro tracks are David Blaney, Terry Cook, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Mark Martin and David Stremme. Stremme, who is often "#blamed" via Twitter for every wreck and fender bender on race day, might do well to choose a tongue-in-cheek tune, such as Milli Vanilli's "Blame It on the Rain".
Just sayin'.
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