Few things fit more naturally than NASCAR and country music, so it only made sense to kick off the 2026 season with one of the biggest country artists of the last two decades. Sparking an inferno with her 2005 debut Kerosene, Miranda Lambert is a nine-time ACM Female Vocalist of the Year and the most-awarded artist in Academy of Country Music history. On Sunday (Feb. 15), the 42-year-old Texan took the stage during the pre-show for the 2026 Daytona 500 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Although she’s far from new to performing on massive stages, Lambert admitted to feeling a little pre-show jitters ahead of The Great American Race’s 68th running.
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Fielding questions from the press ahead of her performance, the “Wranglers” singer realized that this event may mark one of the largest crowds of her two-decade career.
“I think this would be one of the biggest stages, now that you mention it—thanks for making me nervous,” she joked to North Carolina sports reporter Noah Lewis. “Yeah, it’s just incredible, the amount of people here. You know what? Coming in here, it feels like these are my people. Everybody was tailgating—it kind of felt like a concert already, you know what I mean? Everybody’s in a good mood, it’s a celebration, and it’s going to be a fun day.”
Sorry for making you nervous, @mirandalambert!
— Noah Lewis (@Noah_Lewis1) February 15, 2026
She breaks down what it means for her to play the #Daytona500. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/zNhn4qWjyf
Miranda Lambert Covers One of Her New Favorite Singers at Daytona 500
Naturally, once Miranda Lambert took the stage, any sign of nerves evaporated. The three-time Grammy winner commanded the crowd much like she always does, and she even paid tribute to a younger artist following in her footsteps.
“I had the privilege of writing and producing one of my new favorite songs by Miss Ella Langley,” Lambert told the crowd. “It’s called ‘Choosin’ Texas’ and… I thought we’d sing it together today.”
The “Bluebird” singer didn’t choose this particular song at random. In addition to producing the rising star’s forthcoming sophomore album Dandelion, Lambert also penned “Choosin’ Texas” with Langley, Luke Dick, and Joybeth Taylor.
[RELATED: Miranda Lambert Says It Was “an Honor” to Produce Ella Langley’s Forthcoming Sophomore LP]
Since its October release, “Choosin’ Texas” has become Langley’s biggest hit yet. Just last week, it gave the 26-year-old Alabama native her first-ever No. 1 song on the all-genre Hot 100.
Featured image by Michael Bush/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
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