Matthew Grant, Jason Romano and Founder of Shady Rays to serve as prerace dignitaries for Thursday's NASCAR XFINITY SERIES race on FS1 via video from their respective homes.
Soul singer/songwriter Grant performs the national anthem Thursday, July 9, prior to the start of the NASCAR XFINITY SERIES race (8:00 PM ET on FS1 and the FOX Sports app). From his debut single "King For A Day" to his most recent release, "Heaven," Grant brings a timely message of love, peace and unity through his music. His style is often categorized as pop soul with strong undertones of jazz and a touch of gospel, as evidenced on his latest EP, "Love Under Covers."
Romano, Sports Spectrum podcast host, speaker and author, offers the invocation from his home prior to the start of the race. Also a former TV producer of 17 years, Romano authored "The Uniform of Leadership," debuting July 28, and "Live to Forgive."
Race entitlement partner, Shady Rays, an independent American-owned sunglasses company, will feature their Founder, Chris Ratterman, in saying the most famous words in motorsport, "Drivers, start your engines" prior to the start of the race.