Brickyard Race Fans Take a Back Seat to Let NASCAR Star Jamie McMurray Drive Them Home

'Safe Rides Home' Designated Driver Program Makes Third Consecutive Stop in

Indianapolis

    INDIANAPOLIS, July 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Forty-two of NASCAR's best
 drivers took a back seat to Crown Royal driver Jamie McMurray earlier this
 month when he took the checkered flag in a dramatic photo-finish thriller
 in Daytona, capturing his second-career NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series win and
 claiming a tie for the second-closest race in series history. Now, this
 Thursday, July 26, Indianapolis residents and race fans have the chance to
 take a back seat and witness McMurray putting his driving skills to the
 test on the city streets of downtown Indianapolis during the Crown Royal
 "Safe Rides Home" program.
     As part of this designated driver initiative, McMurray will team with
 his primary race sponsor, the Crown Royal brand from Diageo, to deploy a
 fleet of replica purple and gold No. 26 Ford Fusion cars that will be
 offering local bar patrons free, safe rides home for two nights. To show
 his commitment, McMurray will get behind the wheel of one of the vehicles
 and provide free rides home to select consumers who sign up at special
 Crown Royal No. 26 taxi stands.
     Inspired by this signature program, Crown Royal recently debuted a
 national television advertising campaign featuring McMurray and the "Safe
 Rides Home" initiative. The campaign humorously shows McMurray being
 mentored by a New York City cab driver who details the finer aspects of
 driving people home. The message reminds consumers to drink responsibly and
 to always arrange for a safe ride home.
     This marks the third consecutive year the program has visited
 Indianapolis prior to the Brickyard race and, after servicing many
 Indianapolis residents with safe rides home the last couple years, Crown
 Royal will continue offering a second night to the program.
     "We are thrilled to be coming back to Indianapolis for the third
 straight year with our signature program," said Jim Lorenz, Senior Brand
 Manager, Crown Royal. "We constantly want to remind consumers to drink
 responsibly and to always arrange for a safe ride home, and this program
 continues to prove that it's the perfect vehicle to promote that message."
     McMurray's appearance will kickoff the two-day program that aims to
 drive hundreds of Indianapolis residents home safely prior to the Allstate
 400 at The Brickyard on July 29. The program is set to take place at the
 corner of Jackson Place and N. Meridian on Thursday, July 26, and at the
 corner of Broad Ripple Ave. and Guilford St. on Friday, July 27. Marked
 kiosks will accept "fares" from 8:00 pm - 1:00 am on both nights.
     In total, 10 Crown Royal Ford Fusions will be in rotation and residents
 within a 20-mile radius of downtown Indianapolis that are 21 years of age
 or older are eligible.
     There is a four-passenger limit per car. The program, which promotes
 responsible decision making and getting home safely, has provided rides for
 hundreds of patrons and NASCAR fans since its inception in 2003. The
 program was created by Diageo to reinforce the importance of assigning
 designated drivers.
     "It's been an exciting month for Crown Royal and me," said McMurray,
 who has three top-five and seven top-10 finishes this year. "Along with my
 win at Daytona, we also launched a new television advertising campaign to
 support the brand's Safe Rides Home program. This program is something that
 I am truly passionate about and, after seeing the success we had last year,
 I'm excited to be going back to Indianapolis."
     The Roush Fenway Racing driver's first victory in 166 races was well
 worth the wait and catapulted McMurray into Chase contention. Understanding
 the importance of making responsible decisions to adequately celebrate
 monumental occasions, McMurray's true win came when he was safely at home
 and able to enjoy his accomplishment with a toast of Crown Royal.
     McMurray, 31, widely regarded as one of the sport's rising stars, is
 currently in his fifth full season driving in NASCAR's elite NEXTEL Cup
 series. He won Rookie of the Year honors in 2003 and currently sits 15th in
 the Cup standings, just past the halfway point of the season.
     For the second consecutive year, Crown Royal is the primary sponsor of
 the No. 26 Roush Fenway Racing Ford Fusion team driven by McMurray. This
 includes primary paint scheme of the No. 26 car at 23 races during the 2007
 season, including Sunday's race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
     About Crown Royal
     Crown Royal, the number one selling whisky in the U.S. by value, has a
 tradition as long and distinctive as its taste. Specially blended to
 commemorate a grand tour of Canada made by King George VI and Queen
 Elizabeth of Great Britain in 1939, Crown Royal's smooth, elegant style
 reflects its aristocratic origins and is considered the epitome of Canadian
 whisky. In addition to its motorsports sponsorships, the brand also
 sponsors The Crown Royal Bad Boys of Comedy Tour, the Crown Royal American
 Turf stakes race at Churchill Downs and a number of other major regional
 and national events. For more information on Crown Royal, visit
 www.crownroyal.com
     About Diageo
     Diageo (Dee-AH-Gee-O) is the world's leading premium drinks business
 with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits,
 wine and beer. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Smirnoff,
 J&B, Baileys, Jose Cuervo, Tanqueray, Captain Morgan, Crown Royal, Beaulieu
 Vineyard and Sterling Vineyards wines. Diageo is a global company, trading
 in some 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the
 New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE). For more
 information about Diageo, its people, brands, and performance, visit us at
 http://www.diageo.com. Celebrating life, every day, everywhere,
 responsibly.
     About Roush Fenway Racing
     Roush Fenway Racing is NASCAR's largest team operating 14 motorsports
 teams, five in NASCAR NEXTEL Cup with drivers Matt Kenseth, Jamie McMurray,
 Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and David Ragan; five in the Busch Series with
 Kenseth, Biffle, Edwards, McMurray, Ragan, Todd Kluever, Michel Jourdain
 Jr. and Danny O'Quinn Jr.; and three in the Craftsman Truck Series with
 Edwards, Peter Shepherd, Travis Kvapil, Erik Darnell and T.J. Bell; and one
 in the ARCA/REMAX Series with Colin Braun and Darnell. For more information
 on any of the Roush Fenway Racing teams, log onto www.RoushFenway.com. For
 sponsorship inquiries please contact Robin Johnson at 704.720.4645.
 
 

SOURCE Crown Royal