Children of NASCAR competitors excited to sing national anthem ahead of Bristol race

BRISTOL, Tenn. — It is one of the moments that makes the Bristol night race a special event on the NASCAR calendar.

It is the national anthem by the children of drivers and crew members, a long-time tradition.

For a brief moment, drivers and competitors are merely proud parents watching their child or children sing the anthem before one of NASCAR’s most prestigious races. The anthem for tonight’s race is scheduled for 7:17 p.m. ET. USA Network has the pre-race and race coverage.

Chase Briscoe said he can’t wait to watch 3-year-old son Brooks sing.

“He’s been all about it all week,” Briscoe told NBC Sports. “He actually had baseball practice (Thursday). At the end of practice, he stood in the dugout and sang the national anthem in front of all of his teammates. Maybe two words were right. He somehow starts saying ‘the crowd is still sleeping’ in parts of it. It’s pretty phenomenal.

“I’m going actually put a mic on him I think, just so I can how far off it really is. But he thinks he’s nailing it. I’m excited for him to do that. He’s fired up about it. Should be awesome.”

Chase Elliott looks to secure a spot in the next round.

Josh Berry said his oldest daughter is looking forward to performing.

“She’s been practicing a little bit, so we’re trying to make sure she gets the words down,” he said. “She’s excited for it and obviously she loves coming to the racetrack and being a part of (Motor Racing Outreach). They do a lot for us and she loves it, so she’s excited.”

John Hunter Nemechek, who performed in the children’s choir when he was younger, will watch his children perform tonight.

“There’s definitely pictures of me floating around out there of doing it and wearing the MRO t-shirt,” Nemechek told NBC Sports. “My girls got to do it last year for the first time. That was a really special moment.

“That’s kind of a moment where life has come full circle. For myself growing up at the racetrack and being able to kind of shadow my dad and follow his footsteps and now to have them at the racetrack with me, and for them to be able to do the same things I did as a kid, it’s a very special moment for me.”