A Tennessee pastor's candid prayer at a recent NASCAR event is gaining national attention.

Joe Nelms, pastor of Family Baptist Church in Lebanon, Tenn., was called to pray before the NASCAR Federated Auto Parts 300 race, Saturday.

His invocation started with a fairly traditional, "Heavenly Father, we thank you tonight for all your blessings."

Then, Nelms gets creative, thanking God for the "mighty machines" before them. 

Watch the prayer below.

"Thank you for the Dodges and the Toyotas. Thank you for the Fords," he said. "Thank you for GM performance technology and RO7 engines."

Racecar drivers -- obviously entertained by the prayer -- were all smiles as the pastor continued, praising God for racing fuel and Goodyear tires.

The crowd cheered as he even thanked God for his "smokin' hot wife" Lisa and his "two children, Eli and Emma, or as we like to call them 'The Little Es.'"

He also asked God to bless the drivers and use them to put on a great performance.

In all that, Nelms didn't forget to include Christ.

"In Jesus' name, boogity boogity boogity, Amen!" he ended.

The prayer has since gone viral on the Internet.

Monday on Sirius Satellite Radio's "Tradin' Paint,'' Nelms said he didn't want to give a "cookie-cutter prayer."

"I said I want to get somebody's attention... to try to make an impact on the fans and give them something they'll remember," he said.

"And maybe they'll go home on a Friday night or a Saturday night and say, 'Maybe I ought to get up and go to church in the morning,''' he said.

--Published July 26, 2011.