1on1: Kelly Hansen, lead singer of band Foreigner

Founded in 1976, the rock band Foreigner has sold more than 50 million albums world-wide and continues to play concerts to large crowds everywhere they go.

Kelly Hansen, who became the band's lead singer in 2005, talked recently about playing a pre-race concert at Texas Motor Speedway this Sunday, and other things NASCAR:

Mick Jones and Kelly Hansen

Foreigner, the legendary rock band known for its chart-topping hits in the 1970s and '80s, will headline the pre-race show Sunday prior to the Samsung 500, Texas Motor Speedway has announced.

The expected crowd will be the largest that the group has ever performed in front of for a concert. The band will play a 45-minute set of their hits on the frontstretch stage beginning at 11:35 a.m. local time.

Tickets are still available by calling (817) 215-8500 or visiting www.texasmotorspeedway.com. In addition, fans can purchase a $79 credential which allows access to a special pre-race area for the concert.

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Q: Where are you as we speak?

Hansen: I'm in the back of a car, appropriately enough, talking to you from Texas Motor Speedway. We just got done doing a promotion.

Q: What did they put you in down there?

Hansen: I was in the back of the M&M's car.

Q: How was that? Did it feel like your first time?

Hansen: Oh, it was a blast. They took us around the track and got us up to 170 [mph] maybe. It was very cool. (watch video)

The odd thing is that you get off an airplane, and then we went directly to the track and directly into the car. That was a trip right there. And then suddenly you're going around this place at 170. I was telling the driver that I thought his car was running a little rich, because I was smelling a lot of gas. But I actually wanted to go a little faster. I was in the car yelling, 'Go! Go! Go!' Mick [Jones, who founded Foreigner] and I went out in two separate cars at the same time, so we were trading inside and outside. And we were going pretty fast. I thought we did like three laps but I later found out it was more like six because they just went around so quickly.

I really enjoyed it. Unfortunately, we were supposed to be here a day earlier and couldn't make it. If we had been able to get here when we were supposed to, I think we may have been able to get behind the wheel. I'll have to save that for another time, because I would really like to do that.

Q: You actually know a little bit about cars, don't you?

Hansen: Yeah, I do a little bit of work on my own vehicles. But only a little. I enjoy it.

Q: What kind of cars do you own that you work on?

Hansen: I have a 911 Porsche that I've had for a while. I had a '69 Camaro. I had a '73 Z-28 that I would do all my own work on. I've had that 911 for probably a dozen years now. And, of course, you know, some Harleys and things like that that I've had.

I'm kind of a shovel-head guy. I like working on the bikes, myself. I'm not into the new stuff where you need special tools and measuring stuff. I'm old-school like when you tighten a bolt, it's either a grunt or a double-grunt ... something like that. (Continued)