Actor Chris Noth Ready for Big Day as Grand Marshal of Allstate(R) 400 at the Brickyard(R).

NORTHBROOK, Ill. -- Indianapolis Motor Speedway gets a touch of Hollywood for the upcoming Allstate(R) 400 at the Brickyard (R), as actor Chris Noth is named as the race's official Grand Marshal. This year represents the 13th running of the race, which will be televised live, Sunday, Aug. 6, at 2:30 p.m. EDT on NBC from the world-famous track.

Noth will participate in pre-race activities, including the waving of the green flag to signal the start of the race. By Indianapolis Motor Speedway family tradition, IMS Chairman of the Board Mari Hulman George will deliver the famous command, "Gentlemen, start your engines."

"As Grand Marshal, Chris Noth will be a great ambassador for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Allstate during the Allstate(R) 400 at the Brickyard(R)," said Joie Chitwood, IMS president and COO. "He is a likeable and respected personality from TV and film work, so we're excited for him to be a part of the event."

Noth is perhaps best known from his roles as Detective Mike Logan on NBC's long-running crime dramas "Law & Order" and "Law and Order: Criminal Intent" and Mr. Big from the hit HBO series "Sex & the City," for which he earned a Golden Globe nomination. He recently starred and executive-produced the TNT Original film Bad Apple, as well as starring as Roman Gen. Pompey in the TNT epic miniseries Caesar. Noth also enjoyed a successful Broadway run of the revival of Gore Vidal's The Best Man. On the silver screen, Noth has been seen in such films as "Cast Away," "Double Whammy" and "Glass House."

"I'm a huge NASCAR fan, so it is a tremendous honor to be the Grand Marshal for this year's Allstate(R) 400 at the Brickyard(R)," said Noth. "However, this race is about more than just one person waving the green flag, it is all about a truly historic racetrack and the millions of loyal fans watching."

In April 2005, Allstate signed a multi-year agreement with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as the title sponsor for the Allstate(R) 400 at the Brickyard(R), becoming the first company to title sponsor the annual NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at the world-famous speedway. Allstate also signed a multi-year deal, making the company the official auto, home and life insurance and retirement products sponsor of NASCAR.

To purchase tickets, camping or parking for the Allstate(R) 400 at the Brickyard(R) contact the IMS ticket office at (800) 822-INDY outside the Indianapolis area, [phone] locally or log on to www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com.

About Allstate

Now celebrating the 75th anniversary of the founding of Allstate Insurance Company, The Allstate Corporation (NYSE:ALL) is the nation's largest publicly held personal lines insurer. Widely known through the "You're In Good Hands With Allstate(R)" slogan, Allstate helps individuals in approximately 17 million households protect what they have today and better prepare for tomorrow through approximately 14,100 exclusive agencies and financial professionals in the U.S. and Canada. Customers can access Allstate products and services such as auto insurance and homeowners insurance through Allstate agencies, or in select states at allstate.com and 1-800 Allstate(R). Encompass(SM) and Deerbrook(R) Insurance brand property and casualty products are sold exclusively through independent agents. The Allstate Financial Group provides life insurance, supplemental accident and health insurance, annuity, banking and retirement products designed for individual, institutional and worksite customers that are distributed through Allstate agencies, independent agencies, financial institutions and broker-dealers.

About the Indianapolis Motor Speedway

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the world's largest spectator sporting facility and is the annual home of three of the world's most prestigious races: the Indianapolis 500, the United States Grand Prix and the Allstate(R) 400 at the Brickyard(R). The Speedway, with its 2.5-mile oval and 2.605-mile road course, is the only racing facility in the world that plays host to all three of the world's premier racing series - the Indy Racing League IndyCar(R) Series, the United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis and the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, cementing its reputation as the "Racing Capital of the World." The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation is the leader in worldwide motorsports entertainment through its annual schedule of world-class events and an aggressive plan of fan-friendly programs and facility improvements.

Hi-Res Logo

A high-resolution JPEG image of the Allstate(R) 400 at the Brickyard(R) logo is available for download at the Allstate 400/Logos-Graphics section of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Media Web site, www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/media. Contact Paul Kelly of the IMS Public Relations Department at [e-mail] for username and password information.