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HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. – May 13, 2008 – As part of Sprint’s All-Star Customer Celebration, Sprint today announced rising country music star and Sprint customer Rissi Palmer as the national anthem singer for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race May 17 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

Palmer's self-titled debut CD was released in October and immediately became a top-five seller on iTunes. The project has racked up two-self penned hits for the singer-songwriter including “Hold On To Me” and “Country Girl,” which became the first single by an African-American, female country artist to land on the Billboard Charts in 20 years. Earlier this month she released her third single, a country version of the monster pop hit "No Air." She made her Grand Ole Opry debut last year and has since performed on the hallowed stage five times, an impressive feat for a new artist.

Prior to the Sprint Showdown, national artist Damien Horne will sing “God Bless America.” A Hickory, N.C. native, Horne has joined MuzikMafia, a collective group of artists that include Big & Rich, Gretchen Wilson, James Otto, Cowboy Troy and Two Foot Fred. The group’s goal is to unite talent and music genres. Horne brings singing and songwriting abilities to the group that range from hip-hop, R & B, rock, soul and pop music.

In addition to these high-profile roles, Sprint customers will fill all VIP positions next week for all NASCAR Sprint All-Star events.

NASCAR Sprint Pit Crew Challenge VIP roles:

· Honorary Crew Members: Twenty-four customers will be randomly selected prior to the start of the event. One person will be paired with each pit crew.

NASCAR Sprint Showdown VIP roles:

· Grand Marshal: Two representatives from the National Guard, a longtime Sprint corporate customer.

NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race:

· Grand Marshal: Davidson College Head Basketball Coach Bob McKillop with his coaching staff and 10 fellow Sprint customers, who will be randomly selected from the Sprint suite prior to the race.

In addition to Sprint customers serving in VIP roles, thousands of free tickets were given to Sprint customers as part of the Sprint All-Star Customer Celebration. Items offered included 10,500 tickets to the NASCAR Sprint Pit Crew Challenge; 1,000 tickets for lunch and a chartered bus ride to behind-the-scenes tours of Hendrick Motorsports, Michael Waltrip Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing; 20,000 tickets to the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway; a select number of pit tours prior to the start of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race; as well as a select number of customers to be staged up front for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race pre-race driver introductions and the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race Victory Lane.

Tune in to the NASCAR Sprint Pit Crew Challenge May 15 at 9 p.m. EDT on SPEED, or purchase tickets at www.pitcrewchallenge.com. The NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race will air live May 17 at 7 p.m. EDT on SPEED. Tickets are available online at www.lowesmotorspeedway.com or by calling 800-455-FANS.

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