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<p class="wp-block-paragraph">NASHVILLE (FEBRUARY 12, 2020) &#8211; Grass roots, rural country music is how <strong>Doug McCormick</strong> prefers to describe his music, and with the release of a new single, &#8220;<em>Earnhardt</em>&#8221; he continues to drive home that point.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">McCormick said he makes music that both tells his own story but also relates to a large group of people. This song is no different. The bond between father and son is as strong as fiddles and steel guitar.</p>



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<p class="has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph">&#8220;Of all the people you&#8217;d like to sit down and have a beer with, Dale&#8217;s at the top of a lot of people&#8217;s list. For me, this song is a look back on some incredible father-son memories and most important it&#8217;s a humble tip of the hat to the massive impact Dale Earnhardt Sr. made on this world,&#8221; McCormick said.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph" style="text-align:center">LISTEN TO THE NEW TUNE BELOW</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Growing up in the Carolinas, <strong>NASCAR</strong> is a way of life. That rings true for McCormick and his fan base. The opening verse of the song alludes to that time spent with his father on race day.</p>



<p class="has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph">&#8220;As a kid growing up in a Carolina farm town in the 90s, Sunday races were just a part of life,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Dad always had the race on. He could be outside working on cars or recovering from a long week in the textile mill. It didn&#8217;t matter. If it was Sunday, the race was on.&#8221;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">As a kid who grew up just down the road from Darlington Raceway, McCormick was accustomed to seeing the greats come through his hometown race track. Even when he wasn&#8217;t able to see the cars, he could hear them.</p>



<p class="has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph">&#8220;I have some incredible memories of going to the races with my dad. Even when we weren&#8217;t able to make the race, we&#8217;d walk out in our back yard and listen to the cars run around the track,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I didn&#8217;t think much of it then; that&#8217;s just the way it was. However, looking back on it now, I can say NASCAR was undeniably a part of the culture that raised me.&#8221;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">One year shy of two decades since the crash which took the life of one of NASCAR&#8217;s greats, McCormick said releasing a song like this has a special meaning.</p>



<p class="has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph">&#8220;It&#8217;s more than just what he was able to accomplish on the track. Dale Earnhardt Sr. embodied qualities every blue collar American admires,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It&#8217;s his firm handshake, look you in the eye, do anything for you, ain&#8217;t gonna take nothing off of you, and win at all costs approach to life that still resonates with us all.&#8221;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">That&#8217;s why McCormick said now is the perfect time to put a song like this out. He said the moment he and co-writer <strong>Lance Carpenter</strong> finished the song, they both knew they had something special.</p>



<p class="has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph">&#8220;I began playing it out on the road, at my shows. The first night I played &#8220;Earnhardt&#8221;, as soon as we finished, there was this guy who somehow made it up on stage. He put me in a bear hug right there on the spot, emotional after just hearing us play it,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We&#8217;ve gotten that kind of reaction every time we&#8217;ve played &#8216;Earnhardt&#8217; live. Seeing this song move people in a big way, I knew I had to share it with the world. I owe an &#8216;Atta boy&#8217; to producer, Marshall Altman for helping me capture that exact emotion in the studio.</p>



<p class="has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph">&#8220;Dale Earnhardt Sr. represents a caliber of greatness that&#8217;s timeless,&#8221; McCormick added. &#8220;To this day, you can&#8217;t mention NASCAR without thinking of The Intimidator. He&#8217;s the GOAT! [Greatest of All Time]&#8221;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>NASCAR&#8217;s biggest race is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 16, when the green flag drops at Daytona International Speedway at 2:30PM EST.</strong></p>



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<amp-youtube layout="responsive" width="530" height="298" data-videoid="MhEzPOacG8M" data-param-feature="youtu.be" title="Doug McCormick - Earnhardt (Official Audio) | Tribute to Dale Earnhardt Sr."><a placeholder href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhEzPOacG8M&;feature=youtu.be"><img src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/MhEzPOacG8M/hqdefault.jpg" layout="fill" object-fit="cover" alt="Doug McCormick - Earnhardt (Official Audio) | Tribute to Dale Earnhardt Sr."></a></amp-youtube>
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