After months of preparation and planning, hours of construction, hanging speakers and miles traveled by fans and performers alike –the time for the Dale Earnhardt Tribute Concert has almost arrived.

The anticipation and excitement has been building in recent weeks as fans purchased tickets for the all-star lineup. Announced by Teresa Earnhardt in December of 2002, the Tribute Concert is the first official fund raiser for the Dale Earnhardt Foundation.

Grammy Award-winning artists Delbert McClendon, Alabama, Kenny Cheney, Go Dolls, Sheryl Crow, Brooks & Dunn with Hootie & the Blowfish are performing at the show. And, before taking to the massive stage in front of a live audience on Saturday, a few of them got in a little rehearsal time.

Hootie & the Blowfish were the first to grace the 220-foot high, 120-foot deep and 80-foot high stage erected on pit road of Daytona International Speedway. (See special Tribute Concert page for exclusive photos and stories) After a rousing rendition of “I Only Want to be with You” that shook the seats of the famed 2.5-mile trioval, lead man Darius Rucker sang a few more songs.

“Man, what a stage,” Darius said after the rehearsal. “Now that’s the way a sound system should work. It’s going to be a big time tomorrow (Saturday) once the fans get in here.”

Sheryl Crow then took to the stage to rehearse some of her hit songs. She’s become a friend of NASCAR and even had Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in her “Steve McQueen” video.

Joining in the activities on Saturday will be about 250 participants in the Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America. In past years, the ride ended at Kyle and Patti Petty’s farm in Randleman, N.C., but this year they chose the Dale Earnhardt Tribute Concert as their finish point.

During the concert, Teresa Earnhardt and our Dale Earnhardt, Inc, drivers will also be coming on stage to say greet the fans. For those in attendance, an interactive display is located at the beginning of pit road near Gate 7.

Some great tickets are still available and can be obtained at the Daytona International Speedway ticket office Booth B. The booth is located between the pedestrian walkover and Gate 7 on the speedway property.