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“What’s More American Than That?” – NASCAR Fans React to Harmonica Rendition of National Anthem and a Horse Ride at Knoxville

Published 06/20/2022, 12:36 PM EDT

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USA Today via Reuters

Earlier, the NASCAR Truck race kicked off at the Knoxville Raceway. In the buildup to the race, a truly bizarre scene played out, involving a man riding a horse around the track. The rider was brandishing an American flag with a firework going off on top of the flag. At the same time, there was the traditional rendition of the National Anthem, but it was being played on a harmonica.

Admittedly, this. received some mixed reactions from the fans and on social media. There were plenty of people who loved it, and there were fans who were not fond of the harmonica version, or the stunt itself. Others declared it as one of the most American things that they had ever seen.

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The general consensus was that the horse-riding stunt was great. However, the harmonica version of The Star-Spangled Banner was not such a big hit. Yet, many acknowledged that it was so unashamedly American and it perfectly embodied the spirit of the United States.

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How did the NASCAR truck series race at Knoxville pan out?

In the end, Todd Gilliland triumphed for his father David Gilliland’s team. The #17 driver managed to defeat the likes of John Hunter Nemechek and Zane Smith to reach Victory Lane. It is also noteworthy that this was Gilliland’s first Truck Series start in the 2022 Truck Series season. Admittedly though, since the #17 driver is only a part-time driver, his win has no effect on the Playoffs.

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All this means that when the paddock heads to Nashville next week, the championship fight will be fiercer. Out of the regular full-time drivers, only five of them have triumphed in 2022. They are, Nemechek, Zane Smith, Ben Rhodes, Chandler Smith, and Stewart Friesen. At the moment, there are three races left for the regular season to wrap up, and Nemechek is in the driving seat to win it.

WATCH STORY: NASCAR Fans Fume as Truck Race Finishes Under Questionable Circumstances at Daytona With a Zane Smith Victory

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Written by:

Dhruv George

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Dhruv George is a senior Motorsports author for EssentiallySports, having authored nearly 12000 articles spanning different sports like F1, NASCAR, Tennis, NFL, and eSports. He graduated with a PG Diploma in Journalism from the Xavier Institute of Communications. Dhruv has also conducted interviews with F1 driver Pierre Gasly and Moto2 rider Tony Arbolino.
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Edited by:

Ankit Sharma