Martina McBride to Perform National Anthem at Indianapolis 500

Gentleman, start your engines! Martina McBride is scheduled to sing the "Star-Spangled Banner" during the pre-race ceremonies for the 96th annual Indianapolis 500 race on May 27. The highly anticipated event takes place at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

"I am extremely excited that the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has invited me to this year's Indy 500," Martina says. "It is a huge honor to sing the national anthem at what is known as the 'Greatest Spectacle in Racing.'"

The crowd will be quite the switch up from the songstress' current tour, which is taking place in venues that hold less than 2,000 people on average.

"I'd gotten to the point where I was keeping people on their feet all night, and that wasn't really what it was all about for me anymore," she tells The Boot. "I wanted to be able to play more ballads. I want people to listen and not worry about partying all night. The whole idea behind this show is a little bit slower paced. We're going to do some fun covers, new songs, album cuts and, obviously, hits."

Martina and her stripped down show will be in Mahnomen, Minn., tonight (May 11) and Clear Lake, Iowa, tomorrow (May 12). Get her full concert schedule here.

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