NASCAR TO PERMIT SPIRITS SPONSORSHIPS BEGINNING IN 2005 SEASON

DAYTONA BEACH (Nov. 10, 2004) – After conducting an extended review of its sponsorship policies and researching trends in consumer attitudes, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) today announced that distilled spirits products are now a new category for sponsorship in the sport beginning in the 2005 season.

“We felt the time was right to allow distilled spirits companies into NASCAR,” said Mike Helton, President of NASCAR. “Attitudes have changed, and spirits companies have a long record of responsible advertising. Any spirits company involved in NASCAR will have marketing campaigns strongly grounded in responsibility and will follow advertising and marketing guidelines set by NASCAR that are consistent with the Distilled Spirits Council’s advertising code.

“Spirits companies are recognized as leaders in responsibility and are encouraging adults who choose to drink, to do so responsibly. We are confident that the spirits companies entering our sport will come to apply that same level of responsibility to their involvement in NASCAR, and will communicate the same responsible marketing and messages that beer companies have exhibited in the sport for the past 25 years,” Helton said. “Additionally, this will provide numerous new sponsorship opportunities to our teams. While the NASCAR industry will benefit across the board, teams will be the primary beneficiaries of this decision in a way that promotes a responsible drinking message consistent with the practices in other motorsports.”

NASCAR’s internal review included outreach to advocacy groups such as the National Commission Against Drunk Driving and other experts in the field of alcohol-related issues. Additionally, NASCAR reached out to industry groups such as the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS) and The Century Council. NASCAR based its guidelines on the input received from these groups.

The distilled spirits companies participating in NASCAR must agree to comply with the Distilled Spirits Council’s “Code of Responsible Practices for Beverage Alcohol Advertising and Marketing” and abide by the Code Review Board’s decisions. Each company’s marketing activities will be grounded in a responsible behavior message. A dedicated portion of advertising by spirits companies in NASCAR will be solely focused on encouraging responsible drinking decisions, with all remaining advertising including a responsible behavior tag.