BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY, Bristol, Tenn., August 19, 2008 Christopher Siegle, 19, of Orlando, Fla., an art and design student at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Fla., was named winner of the 2008 Sharpie 500 Design the Pace Car contest. The contest challenged entrants to design a bold new look for the car that will keep drivers in line during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race at Bristol Motor Speedway. (Note: The 2008 Sharpie 500 has been tagged the Sharpie 500 Presented by the NEW Sharpie Pen to support the launch of Sharpie Pen, the first Sharpie that doesnt bleed through paper).

Per contest rules, Siegles entry was selected based on public voting. The entry, posted on sharpie.com as one of five finalists, received the highest number of votes. Siegles winning design will be replicated on the actual pace car and officially unveiled to the sell-out crowd of more than 160,000 race fans during pre-race ceremonies. As part of the prize package, Siegle will take a victory lap around the track in the car prior to the start of the race.

It was complete amazement when I got the call that Id won, said Siegle. As a kid, I always wanted to enter contests like this but I was never old enough. Ive been a race fan since I was 6. What Im most excited about is seeing the design on the car.

Siegle said he was inspired by the Sharpie 500 race in particular.

Its a big night race so I made it black like the sky with the moon glowing in the back. Its the way I think people think about the race, he said.

The Sharpie 500 is a colorful race with lots of bold action, and Christophers design definitely reflects that energy, said Howard Heckes, Sharpie Global Business Unit President. There are lots of professional paint schemes on the track here, and it is fitting that this bold, creative design will lead the field of 43 drivers to the official start of the race.

In addition to leading drivers to the start-finish line, the pace car also limits the speed of competing race cars on the race track during caution periods when a major accident or obstruction on the track occurs. During a caution period, the pace car enters the track ahead of the leader. With few exceptions, competitors are not allowed to pass the pace car or other competitors during a caution period, and the pace car leads the field at a pre-determined low, safe speed. At the end of the caution period, the pace car leaves the track and the competitors resume racing.

For more information about Sharpie and the Sharpie 500 Presented by the NEW Sharpie Pen, visit www.sharpie.com

About Sharpie

For more than 40 years, Sharpie has been the popular brand of permanent marker associated with the autograph experience. Newell Rubbermaids Office Products Group, maker of Sharpie markers, is a worldwide leader in the manufacturing and marketing of writing instruments, art products and office organization and technology products, including such well known brands as Paper Mate, Sharpie, DYMO, Parker, Waterman, EXPO, uni-ball, and Rolodex, among others. Visit www.sharpie.com for more information.