Former Richmonder and national recording artist Elliott Yamin will return to Richmond for two special performances at Richmond International Raceway during the track's May 4-5 NASCAR weekend. Yamin, who burst onto the national scene as a semi-finalist during last season's "American Idol" competition, will sing the National Anthem prior to the Circuit City 250 Presented by FUNAI NASCAR Busch series race (Friday, May 4) and will deliver his rendition of "God Bless America" before the Crown Royal Presents the Jim Stewart 400 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race (Saturday, May 5).

Yamin is also scheduled to make several fan hospitality appearances at Richmond International Raceway during the weekend. He will drop by the Green Flag Zone fan hospitality area before Saturday's race and the Party Zone fan hospitality area before Friday's race. Tickets are still available for Saturday's Crown Royal Presents the Jim Stewart 400 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race and Friday's Circuit City 250 Presented by FUNAI NASCAR Busch Series race. Admission to the two fan hospitality areas—which always sell out—are still available, so fans wanting a chance to see Yamin up close and personal should visit www.rir.com for information and tickets.

Yamin will release his self-titled debut album—Elliott Yamin—March 20 on Hickory Records. His first single off the disc, "Wait for You," was premiered last week. Yamin's popularity skyrocketed to stardom last year after finishing third in the fifth season of "American Idol," the highly popular television show on FOX. Simon Cowell, a judge on the show, once deemed Yamin "potentially the best male vocalist in the history of 'American Idol.'"

Along with his parents, Yamin moved to Richmond, Virginia when he was 10 years old to be close to their extended family. He reveals, "Moving to the South was such a culture shock for me; it felt like everything about it was different from what I was used to in Los Angeles. But after that, I just loved Virginia. I'm so proud of where I come from. I miss Richmond every day. I am most definitely a southern boy."

Yamin's improbable rise to the top has included much adversity. He has endured near-deafness in his right ear since the age of 13 and was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 16 and never took voice lessons. Yamin describes his childhood as "very difficult."

"We are proud to have Elliott Yamin—who grew up in Richmond—perform at both of Richmond International Raceway's NASCAR races this May," said track president Doug Fritz. "NASCAR events at Richmond International Raceway are the largest spectator sports in all of Virginia, so it's fitting to have one of Virginia's biggest stars perform at America's Premier Short Track."

Tickets are still available for both the Crown Royal Presents the Jim Stewart 400 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race (Saturday, May 5) and the Circuit City 250 Presented by FUNAI NASCAR Busch Series race (Friday, May 4). Additionally, fan hospitality passes are available for Saturday's Green Flag Zone and Friday's Party Zone. Tickets and information are available by calling the Richmond International Raceway ticket office at 1-866-455-7223 or visiting www.rir.com.