Back in 1996, when Dale Jarrett, a NASCAR Champion, kissed the brick following his Brickyard 400 win, little did he know he had started a tradition. It was a tradition rooted in history. You see, when the original track was paved with crushed stone and tar, track officials decided to pave the track with bricks. Today, only part of the bricks exist, but it has birthed a tradition. And that’s what historic events are all about. Tradition. And in embracing racing heritage, we have an exciting update on another tradition.

The pre-race national anthem is one racing tradition no racing league in the country can ignore. And the person singing has the biggest honor of them all. With names like Kelly Clarkson, Jordin Sparks, Darius Rucker, and many more who’ve had the honor, one more name will join the ranks, and it’s 9-time Grammy nominee Natalie Grant.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway president Doug Boles praised her ability, going on to say, “Natalie’s emotional and stirring rendition of the national anthem in front of the grandstand sellout crowd will be an unforgettable moment during pre-race ceremonies for the Indy 500. The national anthem pays honor to the country we love and gets us one step closer to the final, dramatic and electric moments leading up to the start of the Indianapolis 500.”

Considered to be one of the most influential singers in the country, Grant has experienced the honor before, although it was for a different sport. Back in 2019, Grant performed ahead of the September game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens. Just a few years later, she performed right before another Chiefs game, before they went against the Detroit Lions.

And she clearly knows how important the role is, as she wrote in her Instagram post from 2023. “Huge thanks to @cfbplayoff @fiurproductions @michaelfiur inviting me to perform at last night’s National Championship game. What an honor, what a night, what a memory. So grateful. ❤️🇺🇸”

That’s not all. Grant has a powerful story! She battled thyroid cancer in 2017, inspiring her fans after she beat it, making her come back to singing. Speaking about singing the national anthem at the GOP Presidential Debate in Milwaukee, she said, “I am patriotic. I like to keep politics to those who know how to do that best and talk about it best. And I love my country. I love our anthem. And it’s just an honor and a privilege.”

Add to that Grant’s fight against human trafficking across the United States through her non-profit organization Hope for Justice, and you can see the inspirational individual who’ll take the mic this weekend.

The national anthem is set for 12:24 P.M. ET this Sunday at the Trackside Yard of Bricks Stage. It will be followed by the ‘Back Home in Indiana’ tradition at 12:38 P.M. ET, and the green flag flying at the Indy 500 at 12:45 P.M. ET.

With the race weekend fast approaching, let’s see what the weather will be like during the weekend.

Indy 500 weather spells trouble for Kyle Larson

Last year’s Indy 500 was memorable, but for one NASCAR driver, it turned problematic quickly. Kyle Larson’s attempt at going for ‘The Double’ was ruined quickly. And while things looked like they were going smoothly in 2025, it has taken a turn for the worse. The weather prediction for the race on Sunday now shows, “Overcast with rain showers at times.” That means there’s a good chance it might rain throughout the day.

“We can’t rule out a thunderstorm or two around that 2 p.m. timeframe,” Earl Breon from the National Weather Service in Indianapolis explained. “It’s a few days out from now so things could change on us, but looking at Sunday, that’s kind of what we’re looking for right now is a 30% chance of (precipitation), upper 60s to around 70 and then mainly a chance of showers. Maybe a thunderstorm in the area,” he added.

Now, if we look at data from the past 108 races, there has been rain at some point in the race 47 times. That’s roughly 44% of the time that the race had precipitation. Last year, there was a record 1.48 inches of rain at the track!

For Kyle Larson, it spells trouble. You see, he doesn’t just have to run the race; he needs to complete it. And if he pulls out early, backup driver Tony Kanaan can’t get into the car. More importantly, as per Rick Hendrick, the team’s priority will be the Coca-Cola 600.

But that’s not all. If Larson has to miss the NASCAR race, according to NASCAR’s new waiver rule, he’ll lose all his playoff points, and that’s a hefty penalty. To think all of that relies on whether rain hits is incredible. We’ll have to wait and see how it all unfolds this Sunday.