Full Throttle

Name: Monica Palumbo

Occupation: Miss Sprint Cup. She started in March 2008.

Education: Graduated with a degree in musical theater from California State (though spent most of her college years at East Carolina University)

Hometown: Born and raised in Charlotte, N.C., though she’s spent time in New York City and California.

Where you’ll see her at the track: As a self-described “Sprint ambassador,” Palumbo can most often be found in the Sprint Experience area, interviewing drivers and talking to fans about the racing. “Really my role is just to bring the fans closer to the sport … introduce them to the FanView that we have and let them understand the products that we are using that enables them to understand the sport.”

Seeing double? Well, you can’t miss her Sprint Cup fire suit at more than 20 races a season, but there are two of them – the other Miss Sprint Cup is Anne-Marie Rhodes – and they alternate weekends.

Everyone’s got a favorite: Martin Truex, Jr. “Everyone is like ‘what?’ because there are so many (Dale Earnhardt) Jr. fans out there and Jeff Gordon fans and they are great, all great guys. But Martin Truex is such a calm person. … Just very quiet and it’s like ‘oh, man, I’ve really got to get my questions together to get him to open up and talk.’ So, I’m a big fan of his and I really want him to do well.”

The one that’s eluded her: “I have never interviewed Carl Edwards, and I would love to interview him. He always has a lot of fun things to say, so he would be cool.”

You also know her as … While she calls herself just a “normal Southern Lady,” she’s not your average girl next door. Just look at her resume – “Miss North Carolina,” guest co-host on “Live with Regis and Kelly,” a top six finalist in the ABC reality show, “All-American Girl.” Oh, and the next time you watch the film “Shallow Hal,” you might just catch a glimpse of her as Night Club Goer #1.

When you’re in her town of Charlotte, here’s what you do: Head to the Epicenter downtown – “It has a bowling alley, a movie theater, restaurants, really everything all in one block … It’s really cool.”

But what if you’re hungry? Gotta hit Harper’s. “It’s in the SouthPark area. It’s nothing glitzy or glamorous, it’s just normal all-American food, but they have the best milkshakes and the best barbecue chicken.”

Time permitting, she’s … Hanging out with friends, going to the beach, playing football, barbecuing, spending time with her pugs Dallas and Banks.

Did you know? When competing for Miss USA in 2001, Palumbo won the title of Miss Congeniality. That led to a gig helping promote the film “Miss Congeniality” starring Sandra Bullock.