DeGarmo to sing national anthem at Chicagoland

JOLIET, Ill. -- American Idol runner-up Diana DeGarmo, who will be returning to Broadway in September to perform in the hit musical Hairspray, will sing the national anthem for Sunday's USG Sheetrock 400.

As part of the pre-race festivities, DeGarmo will sing the anthem a cappella style, fulfilling a long standing tradition of NASCAR and racing events throughout the country. Her performance will be punctuated with an overhead flyby of B-52s out of Barksdale Air Force Base.

"I am very honored to be performing at Chicagoland Speedway for all of the millions of NASCAR fans," DeGarmo said. "I myself have been a huge NASCAR fan since I can remember, and having this wonderful opportunity is so exciting. All of the drivers of NASCAR are so amazing, and I'm looking forward to a great race!"

"Diana DeGarmo's remarkable vocal ability has enabled her to accomplish a great deal at a very young age, from her run on American Idol to her Broadway debut earlier this year," said Matthew Alexander, vice president and general manager of Chicagoland Speedway. "We are very excited that she will be a part of our pre-race ceremonies for the USG Sheetrock 400, and we're excited to hear her perform our national anthem."