This two day event that combines country music and race car driving is happening THIS WEEKEND in Nashville at the Ryman Auditorium and Nashville Municipal Auditorium.

Some of the greatest names in country music will kick off the two-day event at the Grand Ole Opry when Sprint Sound & Speed Presented by SunTrust hits the stage of the Ryman Auditorium on Friday, Jan. 8. The special night of music will feature Vince Gill, Hank Williams Jr.,Chris Young, Danny Gokey, Holly Williams, Jason Michael Carroll, Kyle Petty and his band and many more. There will also be appearances by NASCAR standouts Michael Waltrip, Jamie McMurray and Greg Biffle during the Friday night event. Shows are at 7:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. See opry.com for the complete artist line-ups for each show.

At 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 9 the fun continues at Nashville Municipal Auditorium, where fans of racing and country music will have the opportunity to get up-close and personal with drivers and top-name artists for autographs, story-telling, and question-and-answer sessions. Attendees will have the chance to view NASCAR showcars of yesterday and tomorrow, check out sponsor displays, and bid on memorabilia from the racing and entertainment industries as part of a silent auction fundraiser.

This year, fans of NASCAR stars Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne and Kyle Busch are in luck, as limited (200) early autograph passes will be available. Fans who would like to wait for the chance to obtain these passes will have access to the Exhibition Hall at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium beginning TODAY, Jan. 8 at 12:00 p.m., with distribution taking place at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 9. These are the only early passes available and patrons must show their Festival Ticket to enter the Exhibition Hall. For more information, read the rules and regulations at http://soundandspeed.org/schedule.

NASCAR stars slated to appear at the festival are:
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Tony Stewart
Denny Hamlin
Kasey Kahne
Michael Waltrip
Clint Bowyer
Reed Sorenson
David Stremme
Aric Almirola
Justin Allgaier
Kyle Petty
Michael Annett
Carl Edwards
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Kyle Busch
James Buescher
Brad Kesolowski
Logan Ruffin
Brian Scott
Morgan Shepherd

Country music stars slated to appear at the festival are:
Chris Young
Jason Michael Carroll
Josh Turner
Members of Diamond Rio
Danny Gokey
Mallory Hope
Danielle Peck
Ashton Shepherd
Nathan Lee Jackson
Duo Kate & Kacey
Love and Theft
Alabama’s Jeff Cook
Bucky Covington
Ranger Doug
Fast Ryde
Chuck Wicks
Whitney Duncan

TICKET INFO: Tickets range from $42 to $54 for the Opry at the Ryman shows on Friday, Jan. 8 and tickets for the festival on Jan. 9 are $20 for adults and $15 for children. Combination tickets (good for the Opry and the festival) are also available and range from $55 to $69. To purchase tickets visit TicketMaster (www.ticketmaster.com) or www.opry.com. For more information and updates check out www.soundandspeed.org

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