Reigning ‘America’s Got Talent’ Champion Bianca Ryan To Sing National Anthem For 49th Annual Pepsi 400 At Daytona

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Bianca Ryan, the 12-year-old singing prodigy and reigning America’s Got Talent champion, will sing the National Anthem for the 49th annual Pepsi 400 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race on Saturday, July 7.

“We’re thrilled to welcome a rising star such as Bianca Ryan to sing the National Anthem for the Pepsi 400,” Daytona International Speedway President Robin Braig. “The Pepsi 400 is an Independence Day holiday weekend classic and we look forward to hearing her rendition of the national anthem before thousands of race fans and a live television audience on TNT.”

At age 11, Ryan performed to standing ovations from the studio audiences on the NBC hit show America’s Got Talent. Ryan won recognition and the judges over by singing Jennifer Holiday's hit song "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" from Dreamgirls. Simon Cowell, the show’s executive producer, exclaimed “Bianca Ryan is potentially one of the best singers I have ever heard in my life.”

A native of Philadelphia, Pa., Ryan released her self-titled debut album in November of 2006 on Columbia / Syco and has made numerous television appearances on shows such as The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The Today Show and Martha.

Ryan will join the Aly & AJ, Corbin Bleu and Drake Bell tour, the hottest teen tour in recent memory, kicking off on Wednesday, July 11th in Phoenix, Arizona and running through September 1st, hitting 29 cities in all.

Tickets for any of the Pepsi 400 Weekend events, including the 49th annual Pepsi 400 on Saturday, July 7, the Winn-Dixie 250 presented by PepsiCo on Friday, July 6 and the Brumos Porsche 250 Rolex Series race on Thursday, July 5, are available online at www.racetickets.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP.