Crown Royal Becomes First Ever Spirits Company to Sponsor Nextel Cup Team

Defending Champion Kurt Busch Will Encourage Race Fans to 'Be A Champion. Drink Responsibly.'

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Feb. 10 -- Reigning Nextel Cup champion Kurt Busch will begin his quest for back-to-back championships this weekend during the preseason Bud Shootout in the colors of new sponsor Crown Royal. In the process, he will become the first NASCAR driver to race in the paint scheme of a spirits brand since NASCAR announced last November that spirits companies would be allowed to participate as team sponsors.

In this inaugural season, Crown Royal Championship Racing will utilize its new association with NASCAR to promote responsible drinking with millions of NASCAR's adult fans. They will allocate a multi-million dollar marketing budget to support the sponsorship of Kurt Busch and his No. 97 team, which will include dedicated social responsibility messaging under the tagline "Be a Champion. Drink Responsibly."

"We're excited that Crown Royal will lead the spirits industry into the exciting world of NASCAR," said Jerry Knight, Brand Director, Crown Royal. "Crown Royal's primary message for this partnership will be one of responsible drinking, and who better to deliver this message to NASCAR's million of adult fans than the sport's defending champ."

Crown Royal's sponsorship of Kurt Busch and the No. 97 Ford Taurus car is built around Diageo's existing relationship with Roush Racing, which started in 2003 with a primary sponsorship of Matt Kenseth and the No. 17 Roush Racing car for Diageo's flavored malt beverage Smirnoff ICE.

"I'm thrilled about the opportunity to continue the partnership with Crown Royal as they further commit to our sport," Busch said. "I know that as the defending Nextel Cup Champion I am in a great position to help Crown Royal reach our fans with messages concerning the importance of responsible drinking."

In addition to the Bud Shootout, Crown Royal's integrated motorsports marketing plan will include primary sponsorship of the No. 97 car at additional races during the 2005 season, including the Brickyard 400. When Crown Royal is not a primary sponsor, the brand will support Kurt as an associate sponsor of the No. 97 car throughout the 2005 season. Crown Royal will capitalize on its sponsorship of the No. 97 team on several additional levels throughout the season, including consumer promotions and retail events, dedicated print and broadcast advertising to promote responsible drinking, licensing, online consumer promotions, public relations and hospitality.

Crown Royal will also continue to engage race fans across the country with its 2005 title sponsorship of the Crown Royal International Race of Champions (IROC) series. In addition, Crown Royal Special Reserve will sponsor the Doran Lexus team competing in the 2005 Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series driven by Matteo Bobbi, Frabrizio Gollin and Didier Theys. Crown Royal also sponsored the Multimatic Ford car driven by the team of Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle and Scott Maxwell at the Rolex 24 hours at Daytona race on February 5-6.

About Roush Racing

Roush Racing is a subsidiary of Livonia, Mich., based Roush Industries that operates 10 motorsports teams; five in NASCAR Nextel Cup with drivers Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards, three in the Busch Series with Martin, Kenseth and Edwards, and two in the Craftsman Truck Series with drivers Ricky Craven and Todd Kluever. For more information on Roush Racing, visit http://www.roushracing.com/.

About Crown Royal

Crown Royal, the number one selling Canadian 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 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/.

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, 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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