Local music fans who tune into the Sunday, Feb. 14, broadcast of the Daytona 500 may recognize a song featured in television commercials played during the world-renown auto race as the work of a hot Central New York band. The Custom Taylor Band's "Down at the Honky Tonk" was one of two recordings by New York state bands chosen from a field of 45 to win the top honor of being used as background music on Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips commercials.

Better yet, winning the fan-voted, online competition earned the Custom Taylor Band a live concert performance at The Glen NASCAR Sprint Cup Series weekend in Watkins Glen in August. The winning song, written by lead singer Chris Taylor and the title cut of his 2009 CD, is now also on the Glen's Web site, www.theglen.com, as part of the event's Summer Soundtrack.

The band is plenty charged-up about their big win, hoping it's the break that will gain the locally popular quintet national attention. "We had people from all over the country voting," Taylor raves. "It was back and forth between us and a group out of Cortland called Ten Man Push. The final result was they selected both bands. So we look forward to playing there on Aug. 7. It's a great accomplishment because it's NASCAR at the Glen and there'll be thousands of people there. To be seen on that stage in front of that large audience is what I'm looking for. That's something I've always wanted to do, play down there at the Glen."

The visibility and prestige of their NASCAR affiliation may also help the band take some giant strides in their home turf as they gear up for a lively summer season, hoping to add some big shows like the Jamesville Balloon Fest, Oswego's Harborfest and the New York State Fair to their itinerary.

-Kevin Corbett