Rodney Atkins Gets in the Pit with Michael Waltrip

Rodney Atkins (l) and Michael Waltrip, photo courtesy of frontpagepublicity.com.

July 6, 2009 — Rodney Atkins is used to screaming fans, but he recently experienced the scream of engines when he spent the day with NASCAR driver Michael Waltrip for the GAC series, Drafting Partners.

Rodney performed recently at the Food Lion Speedstreet 600 prior to the Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR race in Charlotte, N.C. and Waltrip introduced him to the crowd. The next day, he hung around in Waltrip's world and enjoyed the experience of the pit area as well as getting to know some of the other drivers.

"The fans are what ties us together," says Rodney. "The people who follow the sport are the same fans I see at our shows. We played the Speedstreet event and over 10,000 people came out to see us play."

Michael Waltrip is a fan of country music but Rodney, who took his wife Tammy Jo and son Elijah with him, admits he is an even bigger fan of the drivers and their abilities."These guys get close to 200 miles per hour out on that track. They put their lives in danger to do what they do."

"I've never been in the pit area so that was really unbelievable. Michael, Kasey Kahne and everyone were great. It was so cool to get to hang with them," says Rodney.

Rodney's name is emblazoned on Johnny Sauter's No. 13 Fun Sand/Rodney Atkins/Curb Records Chevrolet Silverado in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

GAC's new series, Drafting Partners puts you smack-dab in the middle of pit row with one of country's hottest stars and one of NASCAR's coolest drivers. Each episode features a new artist and driver pairing for an insider's look at the colliding worlds of country music and motorsports. Catch the show with Rodney Atkins and Michael Waltrip on Thursday, July 9 at 8:30 p.m. ET.