2005 NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Activities to Include New Pit Crew Challenge and Trophy Tour; Fans Offered More Ways to Influence Who Races for the $1 Million Purse.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Nextel Communications Inc. (NASDAQ:NXTL), Lowe's Motor Speedway, NASCAR and the North Carolina Local Organizing Committee (LOC) today announced the events taking place during the 2005 NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge, the week of May 21 in Charlotte, N.C. The NASCAR NEXTEL Pit Crew Challenge, the first event of its kind to be officially sanctioned by NASCAR, the NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge Trophy Tour and more ways for fans to vote in the Nextel All-Star Challenge Sweepstakes have all been added to the 2005 agenda in a collaborative effort by these parties to create a one-of-a-kind all-star experience.

"The NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge allows us to create unique events to support this winners-only race," said Mark Schweitzer, senior vice president of marketing at Nextel. "As our signature event, we put an enormous amount of thought behind finding new ways to bring race fans closer to their favorite sport, drivers and teams and this year's event is sure to be a crowd pleaser."

The NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge is the marquee event of the week and is a race between drivers who have won a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series points race in the 2004 or 2005 seasons, as well as previous event champions who remain active in the series. The NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge activities will include:

NASCAR NEXTEL Pit Crew Challenge Presented by Motorola

The first NASCAR NEXTEL Pit Crew Challenge presented by Motorola will take place at 7:00 p.m., on Thursday, May 19, at the Charlotte Coliseum. The only event of its kind officially sanctioned by NASCAR, this inaugural contest will pit the nation's favorite over-the-wall athletes against each other in seven head-to-head skills competitions designed to showcase the talents of NASCAR's top crew members and identify the top pit crew specialists and overall pit crew. Components of the competition include individual and team contests for tire men, gas men and jack men, and the winners will earn more than $200,000 in guaranteed cash and prizes.

Tickets for the event are available for $10 and can be purchased through Ticketmaster, Lowe's Motor Speedway ticket office, at each stop of the NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge Trophy Tour or by calling (704) 455-FANS. Children under 12 will be admitted for free. At the event, charitable contributions can be made to NASCAR Day, a celebration of NASCAR spirit that benefits Victory Junction Gang Camp, Speediatrics and Speedway Children's Charities.

NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge Trophy Tour

Taking the event to a statewide level, fans will have the opportunity to see the 2005 NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge trophy during its multi-city tour through North Carolina in the 10 days leading up to the race. The tour will kick off on the steps of the Capitol in Raleigh on Tuesday, May 10, with a public address from state representatives. Show cars, haulers, contests and prizes will also be part of the NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge Trophy Tour festivities. From Raleigh, the tour will travel to Camp LeJeune, Wilmington, Fort Bragg and Pope Air Force Bases, Kannapolis, Greensboro, Asheville, Mooresville and Concord before arriving at the Charlotte Coliseum for the NASCAR NEXTEL Pit Crew Challenge on May 19.

Nextel Fan Voting

The NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge field consists of drivers who have won a points race in 2004 or 2005, and former NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge Champions who remain active. Fans will have five ways to vote in one driver among the top 50 in NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series driver points standings who is not already in the NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge. Voting locations include:

--Trackside at The Nextel Experience

--Participating Nextel retail locations

--The Nextel Racing Experience Events

--Online at www.Nextel.com/allstar

--Through their Nextel phones by texting "STAR" to 7827

Fans are also encouraged to visit www.nascar.com for NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge event updates, news and access to the Nextel fan voting page.

Nextel All-Star Challenge Sweepstakes

By voting for their favorite driver, fans will automatically be entered in the NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge Sweepstakes with a chance to win $50,000 and an ultimate fan experience compliments of Nextel. The ultimate fan experience, a VIP prize package valued at $20,000, includes four tickets to the NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge, accommodations, a ride in the official pace car, helicopter transport to the race and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to wave the green flag as the honorary starter of the 2005 NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge. The sweepstakes winner will be chosen at random after voting closes on May 7. Thousands of contest participants will also win prizes upon completion of their ballot. Prizes include Motorola handsets built for Nextel, tickets to the 2005 NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge and NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series prize packs. For more information about the sweepstakes, see the official rules at www.Nextel.com/allstar.

About Nextel

Nextel Communications, a FORTUNE 200 company based in Reston, Va., is a leading provider of fully integrated wireless communications services and has built the largest guaranteed all-digital wireless network in the country covering thousands of communities across the United States. Today 95 percent of FORTUNE 500(R) companies are Nextel customers. Nextel and Nextel Partners, Inc. currently serve 297 of the top 300 U.S. markets where approximately 262 million people live or work.