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O.A.R. To Perform 1st All-Star Week Free Concert In Uptown Charlotte May 13

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (April 9, 2009) – “NASCAR Rev’d Up,” a six-hour event highlighted by a concert with Everfine/Atlantic recording group O.A.R., will kick off activities for NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race week in Charlotte, N.C. The event, which is free to the public, will take place Wed., May 13 between 3rd and Mint Streets in uptown Charlotte from 4-10 p.m.

This year, the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race is being held for the 25th time. “NASCAR Rev’d Up” marks the first time that the all-star race week will open with a concert.

A major fan event, “NASCAR Rev’d Up” features a program filled with driver appearances, show cars and interactive displays, culminated by the O.A.R. concert. Performing as special guests will be Charlotte band Simplified.

O.A.R., who performed at last year’s NASCAR Nationwide Series Awards Banquet, released their sixth studio album, All Sides, last summer, which garnered them their highest debut to date when it landed at No. 13 on the Billboard 200. Last week the band celebrated another career milestone when their single “Shattered” was certified Platinum by the RIAA. The band recently released their second single from All Sides entitled “This Town,” which is already in the Top 20 at Hot AC radio. “This Town” is currently featured in a NASCAR Image campaign spot that was filmed during last fall’s NASCAR racing weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

“We can’t wait to be a part of this event and perform in uptown Charlotte,” said Marc Roberge, lead singer of O.A.R. “We are all fans of NASCAR and have had the chance to get to know some of the drivers, so I have a feeling this is going to be a great time.”

SPEED will broadcast its show “Countdown to All-Star” beginning at 8 p.m. (ET) on May 13 from the concert venue, with guest appearances from several NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers. “NASCAR Rev’d Up” leads off a four-day period heading into the 25th running of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, set for Sat. May 16 at 7 p.m. at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, broadcast live and exclusive on SPEED. Here’s a schedule of events for all-star week:

• Wednesday, May 13, 4-10 p.m. in uptown Charlotte: “NASCAR Rev’d Up” featuring a concert by O.A.R. (free admission).
• Thursday, May 14, 7 p.m., Time Warner Cable Arena: NASCAR Sprint Pit Crew Challenge Presented by Craftsman (for tickets go to www.pitcrewchallenge.com or www.ticketmaster.com). SPEED will televise beginning at 9 p.m. (ET).
• Friday, May 15: NASCAR Day, an opportunity for fans, corporations, schools and organizations across the country to make donations to the NASCAR Foundation to raise funds for its Family of Charities in an effort to help thousands of children live better lives (for more information go to foundation.nascar.com).
• Friday, May 15, 6:15 p.m., Lowe’s Motor Speedway: NASCAR Sprint Cup All-Star Qualifying (for tickets call (800) 455-FANS or go to www.lowesmotorspeedway.com). SPEED will televise beginning at 5 p.m. (ET).
• Friday, May 15, 8 p.m., Lowe’s Motor Speedway: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series North Carolina Education Lottery 200 (for tickets call (800) 455-FANS or go to www.lowesmotorspeedway.com). SPEED will televise beginning with pre-race coverage at 7:30 p.m. (ET).
• Saturday, May 16, 7 p.m., Lowe’s Motor Speedway: 25th running of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race (for tickets call (800) 455-FANS or go to www.lowesmotorspeedway.com). SPEED will televise beginning at 7 p.m. (ET).

“’NASCAR Rev’d Up’ will be a great lead-off event for what is going to be a dynamic schedule of activities for our fans during next month’s NASCAR Sprint All-Star week in Charlotte,” said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR vice president of competition. “The fans will have the opportunity to participate in a wide range of exciting events building up to the 25th running of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. The week offers fun and entertainment, action and a high level of competition for NASCAR race fans to enjoy.”

Steve Gaffney, director of sports and entertainment marketing for Sprint, added: “Sprint and all of the partners involved once again worked diligently to ensure the week of activities matches the all-star status this race has earned. With NASCAR’s introduction of a free O.A.R. concert to kick off the festivities, race fans will enjoy four days of entertainment at an incredible value – something everyone is requesting in this economic climate. Also, between Sprint’s unprecedented live content offerings on the phone and SPEED’s extensive live television coverage of the week’s activities, fans all over the country will be invited to witness the special events leading to the 25th running of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.”

About NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for one of North America’s premier sports. NASCAR is the No. 1 spectator sport – holding 17 of the top 20 highest attended sporting events in the U.S., and is the No. 2 rated regular-season sport on television. NASCAR races are broadcast in more than 150 countries and in 20 different languages. NASCAR fans are the most brand loyal in all of sports, and as a result more Fortune 500 companies participate in NASCAR than any other sport.

NASCAR consists of three national series (the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series), four regional series, and one local grassroots series, as well as two international series. NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races at 100 tracks in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada and Mexico. Based in Daytona Beach (Fla.), NASCAR has offices in New York, Los Angeles, Charlotte (N.C.), Concord (N.C.), Conover (N.C.), Bentonville (Ark.), Mexico City, and Toronto.

About Sprint Nextel
Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including two wireless networks serving more than 49 million customers at the end of the fourth quarter 2008; industry-leading mobile data services; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. For more information, visit www.sprint.com.

For more information and high-resolution images of NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile, please visit: www.sprint.com/sprintcup.

About O.A.R.
Everfine/Atlantic recording group O.A.R. has celebrated several career milestones since releasing their sixth studio album, All Sides, last summer. All Sides garnered the band their highest debut to date when it landed at No. 13 on the Billboard 200. The album’s first single, “Shattered,” – the band’s first-ever single to be certified Platinum by the RIAA – was the No. 6 Best Selling iTunes Rock Song of 2008, and spent fifteen weeks on VH1’s Top 20 Countdown. O.A.R. recently released their second single from All Sides entitled “This Town” and it is already in the Top 20 at Hot AC radio. O.A.R., which includes band members Marc Roberge (vocals, electric & acoustic guitar), Richard On (electric guitar & background vocals), Jerry DePizzo (saxophone), Benj Gershman (bass), and Chris Culos (drums) formed in 1996. They have blazed a unique grassroots trail across America, revealing their compelling musical vision through near-constant touring. With their distinct sound and introspective, heartfelt lyricism, the band has earned a fervent following from coast to coast.

- NASCAR Press Release