Brickyard 400’s new name includes country-pop duo Florida Georgia Line

2018 Daytona 500 winner Austin Dillon and a member of the country duo Florida Georgia Line do a burn out in front of the Columbia Club in Indianapolis on Thursday, March 22, 2018. Afterwards the new Brickyard 400 logo was unveiled and it was announced that  Florida Georgia Line would be headlining the race for the next three years.

You could paraphrase a hit song and say Florida Georgia Line is cruising into a new relationship with the Brickyard 400 NASCAR race.

It's more accurate to say the country-pop duo is taking a full-throttle approach.

Florida Georgia Line's name will be part of the race's name for the next three years, officials announced today. Florida Georgia Line vocalists Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley, who launched 2012 song "Cruise" to the top of the charts, also plan to headline concerts at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2018, 2019 and 2020.

The relationship begins Saturday, Sept. 8, when Florida Georgia Line performs as part of "FGL Fest" inside Turn 4 at the track. The next day, the 25th running of the local NASCAR race will be presented as the "Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard Powered by Florida Georgia Line."

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The race name is a mouthful, and it reflects the involvement of Nashville music company Big Machine Label Group. Florida Georgia Line is signed to Big Machine Records. Big Machine Vodka is a side business of the record company.

Big Machine CEO Scott Borchetta, known as the man who discovered Taylor Swift, is a former racer who competed against future Indianapolis 500 drivers Jimmy Vasser and Mike Groff when they were youngsters in Southern California. As an adult, Borchetta moonlighted after his day job at Dreamworks Records to drive in races at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway.

An image of Swift's face decorated Tony Kanaan's car during IndyCar action in 2015, and the face of Brantley Gilbert — a fellow Big Machine Label Group artist — decorated Sage Karam's car at the 2014 Indianapolis 500.

The official title of last year's NASCAR race: the "Brantley Gilbert Big Machine Brickyard 400."

Scott Borchetta, right, poses on the 2017 Indianapolis 500 red carpet with Nikki Sixx, left, and his wife, Courtney Sixx.

But Borchetta has never been as all-in as what's seen in this Florida Georgia Line deal.

"We’ve been toying around with the best ways to work with the Speedway for years, and I think we’ve nailed it," Borchetta said.

This year's Brickyard 400 is one of changes, as the event shifts to early September following previous editions in late July and that time of year's often-oppressive heat. The race also will serve as the regular-season finale of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series for the first time, meaning drivers likely will be in or out of the playoffs based on Indianapolis results.

Borchetta said a three-year commitment for "FGL Fest" concerts is good business.

"Usually, with festivals that first year is a little tougher," he said. "The second year starts to make sense. The third year usually blows up. That's our hope: If it goes as planned, this could turn into a 10-year relationship with the Speedway. We felt three years was the proper time to give it to see if we could really build something special at Indianapolis."

Florida Georgia Line helped make Billboard magazine chart history with current smash "Meant to Be." Credited to pop singer Bebe Rexha (who performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the 2017 Indianapolis 500) with Florida Georgia Line as featured guest, "Meant to Be" has spent 16 weeks at No. 1 on the hot country songs chart. The song outdistances any other No. 1 with a female lead, breaking Swift's 10-week run with "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together." 

Florida Georgia Line invited rapper Nelly to appear on a revised version of "Cruise," and Hubbard and Kelley collaborated with electronic dance music duo the Chainsmokers on 2017 song "Last Day Alive."

"('Meant to Be') is the first global hit Florida Georgia Line has been a part of," Borchetta said. "It's opened up so many opportunities and so many other markets. In Indianapolis, I think we're being played on five or six radio stations."

The full lineup for "FGL Fest" and tickets prices have yet to be announced.

Borchetta said the performer roster will be "predominantly country." Regarding admission, he said, "People are going to see the price and be very happy about it. It's going to be in line with the most affordable festival prices anywhere."

Last year, Big Machine had a role in staging the two-day "400 Fest" leading up to the Brickyard race. The Chainsmokers and fellow EDM act Major Lazer headlined "400 Fest," which fell short of blockbuster ticket sales.

"I think to connect the music fan with the race fan we might have leaned a little bit too EDM and a little too edgy for expectations," Borchetta said. "I think we're going to be able to keep an element of that, but it won't be central to ('FGL Fest')."

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Call IndyStar reporter David Lindquist at (317) 444-6404. Follow him on Twitter: @317Lindquist.

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