Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow (15) greets New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) after an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2011, in Denver.
Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow (15) greets New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) after an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2011, in Denver.
Football legend and evangelist Tim Tebow will headline Bristol Motor Speedway’s live Easter celebration on Sunday, April 9, prior to the start of the Food City Dirt Race.
Award-winning Christian artists Phil Wickham and Cory Asbury will provide music for the celebration which will begin at 4 p.m. on the BMS Fan Midway Stage near the E Parking Lot. The event is free to the public.
Tebow, a former Heisman Trophy winning quarterback at the University of Florida was part of national championship teams in 2006 and 2008. He played three seasons in the NFL as quarterback of the Denver Broncos and New York Jets, and later five seasons in Minor League Baseball as part of the New York Mets farm system.
He currently serves as a college football analyst for ESPN and the SEC Network. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in January.
The son of missionaries, Tebow spent part of his youth in the Philippines. He founded the Tim Tebow Foundation in 2010 with a mission statement to “bring faith, hope and love to those needing a brighter day in their darkest hour of need.”
There are several speakers from the NASCAR industry scheduled to make appearances including Motor Racing Outreach chaplain Billy Mauldin.
“We are thrilled and humbled to provide our guests with such an amazing lineup of prominent worship leaders in Tim Tebow, Phil Wickham and Cory Asbury to headline our Easter Celebration prior to the start of the Food City Dirt Race,” said Jerry Caldwell, president and general manager, Bristol Motor Speedway. “Our racing community and fan base is strong in faith and we are very proud and honored to gather together with everyone to worship and celebrate at this important event on Easter weekend once again at Bristol Motor Speedway.”
In addition to his athletic background, Tebow has authored five New York Times Best Selling Books. His “Through My Eyes” was the No. 1 ranked sports and religion book of 2011. His book, “Shaken: Discovering Your True Identity in the Midst of Life’s Storms,” was named the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association Book of the Year.
Tebow is no stranger to the Tri-Cities or East Tennessee as his older brother, Robby, played football at Carson-Newman and graduated in 2004. Tim Tebow spoke at Johnson City’s Freedom Hall in May 2022, and is scheduled to be back there again at a “There is Hope” event on April 15.
Wickham, a leader in the modern worship movement, has been nominated for two Grammy Awards and multiple Billboard Music Awards. His single, “This is Amazing Grace,” was his first career No. 1 single.
Asbury, who grew up a couple hours from the Tri-Cities in Franklin, North Carolina, was nominated for a Grammy for his contemporary Christian music album Reckless Love in 2019. The title track spent 18 weeks at No. 1 on Christian Radio. He has multiple GMA Dove Awards.
The Food City Dirt Race is scheduled to start at 7 p.m.
Jeff Birchfield is a sports writer for the Johnson City Press with a lifelong passion for motorsports. The father of two attended ETSU and served in the Tennessee Army National Guard.
