Crown Royal IROC Series Unveils 2005 Driver Field
Seven Reigning Series Champions Set to Battle for $1 Million Top Prize
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Jan. 19 -- Crown Royal International Race of Champions (IROC) officials announced today the driver field for the 2005 Crown Royal IROC Series, which kicks off its 29th season on Friday, February 18 at Daytona International Speedway.
The invitational series will feature 12 champion drivers from different forms of auto racing in equally prepared cars featuring a unique Crown Royal paint scheme. The 2005 driver field will consist of seven drivers who captured their respective series championships in 2004.
Matt Kenseth, winner of two Crown Royal IROC events last season, is the defending series champion, while Mark Martin will make his 11th IROC appearance and seek a record-breaking fifth title to move ahead of Dale Earnhardt, who, like Martin, holds four IROC titles. This year's champion will take home the prized $1 million first-place purse.
Crown Royal returns as series title sponsor for the second consecutive year as part of its "Be a Champion. Drink Responsibly." campaign.
"Crown Royal is proud to sponsor such an elite series like IROC and offer our consumers an opportunity to see the best in racing compete," said Jerry Knight, Brand Director, Crown Royal. "Like the IROC series, Crown Royal is a brand rich in legacy, and we are proud to be a sponsor for the second straight year and have this unique opportunity to promote and advance our commitment to social responsibility."
The 2005 Crown Royal IROC field includes: Driver Series Representing Matt Kenseth NASCAR Nextel Cup (2004 Crown Royal IROC champion) Kurt Busch NASCAR Nextel Cup (2004 Series champion) Mark Martin NASCAR Nextel Cup (4-time Crown Royal IROC champion) Sebastien Bourdais CHAMP CAR (2004 Series champion) Bobby Hamilton NASCAR Craftsman Truck (2004 Series champion) Steve Kinser World of Outlaws (2004 Series champion) Max Papis Grand American Road Racing (2004 Series co-champion) Scott Pruett Grand American Road Racing (2004 Series co-champion) Martin Truex Jr. NASCAR Busch Series (2004 Series champion) Helio Castroneves IRL IndyCar Series (2-time Indianapolis 500 champion) Buddy Rice IRL IndyCar Series (2004 Indianapolis 500 champion) Danny Lasoski World of Outlaws (2001 Series champion)
"We are proud to announce this elite group of drivers who will compete in the 2005 Crown Royal IROC Series," said Jay Signore, IROC President. "With seven reigning series champions and numerous individual victories among the remainder of the field, the driver who wins this year's championship will have certainly earned it."
The Crown Royal IROC Series will consist of four races on diverse racetracks, which includes one superspeedway, two intermediate tracks and one short track. Following the season-opener at Daytona, the series will shift to Texas Motor Speedway (April 15), followed by Richmond International Raceway (September 8) and conclude at the Atlanta Motor Speedway (October 29).
"I'm excited to again be competing with the best of the best from every major auto racing series and have this opportunity to join Crown Royal in its continuing efforts to promote responsible drinking," said Kenseth, a winner of last year's final two Crown Royal IROC races at Richmond and Atlanta, respectively. "I'll have to be at the top of my game if I have any aspirations of defending my championship. This field is as good as it gets."
Kenseth, the reigning Crown Royal IROC champion, began defense of his 2003 NASCAR championship by winning two consecutive races in the 2004 season's first month in Rockingham, N.C. and Las Vegas. The Wisconsin native finished the season with eight top-five and 16 top-10 finishes on his way to an eighth place finish in the Nextel Cup point standings.
Consistency was the name of the game for the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup champion Kurt Busch. When it mattered most -- during the final 10-race Chase for the Cup format, Busch finished in the top 10 nine times, including a Chase-opening victory at New Hampshire, to clinch his first NASCAR series crown. In all, he recorded three wins, 10 top-five and 20 top-10 finishes. Busch was the 2003 Crown Royal IROC Series champion.
Martin will attempt to eclipse his record four IROC titles (1994, '96-'98) and 11 IROC race wins as part of his "Salute To You" 2005 farewell season. Martin placed fourth in the NASCAR Nextel Cup final point standings with one win (Dover), 10 top-five and 15 top-10 finishes.
In winning a series-high seven of 14 races, Sebastien Bourdais dominated the series to win the 2004 Champ Car World Series championship. The Frenchman also led the series in poles and laps, and only finished outside of the top-10 twice. Bourdais added 11 top-five and 12 top-10 finishes to his 2004 resume.
Bobby Hamilton claimed a series-high four checkered flags on his way to capturing his first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series title in 2004. Hamilton's dominating year included top-10 finishes in more than half of the races and 12 top-fives.
Teammates Max Papis and Scott Pruett were co-champions of the Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series in 2004. En route to their championship, the duo recorded a single-season record of 11 pole positions in 12 events. After scoring their first win in Mont-Tremblant (Quebec, Canada) in Round 4, the team secured the points lead for good, adding three more victories along the way.
Martin Truex Jr.'s six checkered flags, seven top-five and 26 top-10 finishes were plenty to outdistance the competition to win his first NASCAR Busch Series title in 2004.
Helio Castroneves only recorded one win in 2004 (Texas), but had six top- five and 13 top-10s during the 16-race season, which was good enough for a solid fourth place showing in the final 2004 Indy Racing League (IRL) IndyCar Series points standings. The two-time Indianapolis 500 winner (2001-2002) also earned five poles, four of which came during the last four races of the season.
After winning his first career pole in the 2004 IRL season opener at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Buddy Rice went on to an impressive season, recording his first win in the Indianapolis 500 and adding victories at Kansas and Michigan during the summer months. Rice's seven top-five and 12 top-10 finishes elevated him to third in the final IRL point standings.
For the fourth time in the last six seasons, Danny Lasoski finished second in the World of Outlaws final point standings championship. The 2001 World of Outlaws champion won nine "A" Features in 2004, including his third Knoxville Nationals championship in August. In all, he recorded 37 top-five and 52 top- 10 finishes in 66 "A" Feature events. Last April, Lasoski captured his first Crown Royal IROC race at Texas, becoming only the second driver representing short track open wheel racing to do so.
Tickets for the Crown Royal IROC Series opening race and other Daytona Speedweeks 2005 events are available online at: http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com/ or by calling the Daytona International Speedway ticket office at (386) 253-7223.
About IROC
Crown Royal International Race of Champions (IROC) is auto racing's All- Star Game. It is an invitational racing series that matches 12 drivers from different disciplines of auto racing in equally prepared cars on Goodyear Eagle radial racing tires. The Series consists of four 100-mile races with points awarded for finishing positions. At the end of the fourth race, points are tallied and a champion of champions is named.
About Crown Royal
Crown Royal, America's leading super premium whisky, 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 sponsorship of the Crown Royal IROC Series and the No. 97 NASCAR Nextel Cup Team, the brand also sponsors The Crown Royal Comedy Soul Fest and a number of other major regional and national events. For more information on Crown Royal, visit http://www.crownroyal.com/.
Crown Royal is proudly owned by Diageo, the world's leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, wines, and beer categories. These brands include: Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Smirnoff, J&B, Baileys, Cuervo, Tanqueray, Captain Morgan, Crown Royal, Beaulieu Vineyard and Sterling Vineyards wines.
Diageo is a global company, trading in more than 200 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/.
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