RACING BUSINESS (DAYTONA) - Crown Royal to Showcase Ultra-Premium Cask No. 16 Line in 2008 Grand-Am Series

Diageo and Grand-Am announced today that the ultra-premium Crown RoyalŪ Cask No. 16™ whisky brand will be the presenting sponsor in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series commencing in 2008. Through this sponsorship, Crown Royal will continue its responsible drinking campaign, which encourages adult race fans to always make smart decisions when drinking, including assigning a designated driver. The announcement comes after more than two years of successfully building the Crown Royal Special Reserve brand at sports car races throughout North America.

The Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 will make its official debut at the 2008 Rolex 24 at Daytona on January 24. The Rolex 24 will mark the beginning of the third season of presenting sponsorship for Crown Royal in the Rolex Series. Crown Royal Special Reserve first entered the Rolex Series as a team sponsor in 2005 and expanded its partnership by becoming the series’ presenting sponsor in 2006.

“Crown Royal Special Reserve was the perfect complementary partner for Rolex when they joined with us in 2006 and we are happy to hear that the exposure results they realized with Special Reserve motivated Crown Royal to bring another high-end product to the Rolex Series,” said Grand-Am President Roger Edmondson. “I am confident that the positive brand awareness that Special Reserve saw in the Rolex Series will continue with Crown Royal Cask No. 16 and we will do everything we can at Grand-Am to continue to help them and all of our partners achieve their goals.”

Bringing together two great traditions, Cask No. 16 finishes a unique blend of Crown Royal in rare cognac casks made of oak from the renowned Limousin Forest in France. Cognac continues to thrive as a luxury spirit and the taste of Crown Royal Cask No. 16 is far beyond the ordinary. With its cognac finish, Cask No. 16 combines the luxurious taste of cognac with the sensationally smooth taste experience of Crown Royal to form an incredible new ultra-premium offering for consumers.

“The Grand-Am Rolex Series has proven to be an excellent platform for furthering our message of responsible drinking,” said Jim Lorenz, Senior Brand Manager, Crown Royal. “Crown Royal Cask No. 16 is a perfect fit for this Series, as it will appeal to those race fans that also enjoy the finer things in life.”

In conjunction with the arrival of Crown Royal Cask No. 16, Grand-Am has unveiled a new logo for the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 which is now available at www.grand-am.com.

The Grand American Road Racing Association, which operates and sanctions the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 and the Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series, is the premier road racing organization in North America. The 15-race 2008 Rolex Series and the 11-race KONI Challenge Series calendars deliver professional sports car racing to key markets throughout North America in addition to being televised in the United States and Canada on SPEED and distributed globally through ESPN International. With title sponsorship support from Rolex Watch USA and presenting sponsorship from Crown Royal Cask No. 16, the Rolex Series showcases emerging and legendary drivers from around the globe and thoroughbred racing machines from the industry's leading constructors and the world's top automobile manufacturers. Learn more about Grand-Am at www.grand-am.com.

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 www.diageo.com. Choose to drink responsibly.