“So you’re out for a night on the town enjoying a few cocktails with friends and it’s time to go home. You do the responsible thing in deciding not to drive, hopping into the first cab you find. Imagine your surprise when you find NASCAR driver Jamie McMurray behind the wheel, eager to get you home in one piece. It will happen Thursday night in Fort Worth, Texas, when McMurray plays designated driver in a promotion for sponsor Crown Royal. Sponsors often come up with catchy promotions that market their driver and whatever message they are trying to get out, and this one will likely be a winner.”

– The Associated Press, April 4, 2006

The quote says it all and I can�?Tt help, but to feel proud when I reflect upon what the Crown Royal �??Safe Rides�?T home program has come to represent for NASCAR fans and Diageo alike. To be able to deliver such an important message promoting responsible drinking while simultaneously giving fans an experience of a lifetime is truly remarkable. Created in 2003, first with Smirnoff ICE and now with Crown Royal, the �??Safe Rides�?T home initiative has become one of the cornerstones of our NASCAR sponsorship, as we seek to reach millions of race fans with our “Be a Champion. Drink Responsibly.” campaign.

What makes this initiative so special is how it enables us to use our sponsorship and driver Jamie McMurray to engage fans in a meaningful way. In other words, for the NASCAR fan this program is really cool�?�

How it works is that throughout the NASCAR season Crown Royal will descend to a select downtown area ahead of the weekends race and wrap a fleet of Ford Fusions with a paint scheme to replicate the #26 Crown Royal car that runs in the race. Jamie McMurray then comes down and actually steps in as an honorary cab driver to get people �?’ who may have had too much to drink �?’ a safe ride home. Ok, even if you�?Tre not a fan, you have to admit that it�?Ts a pretty cool program and one that definitely would catch a few eyes and make people take notice.

To witness the shock and sheer exhilaration on a fans face when they realize they are going to actually get a ride home from Jamie is a sight to be seen. Most might say “big deal,” but to a NASCAR fan this is a moment to be cherished and savored, as they are in the midst of someone they respect and admire. For Crown Royal and Diageo, we feel exuberant because it�?Ts the moment when we have had a real impact and reached yet another fan with our message of responsible drinking�?� And most importantly, got them home safe in the process. One thing is for certain, with 75 million fans - more than 80% of which are above 21 �?’ NASCAR is an amazing platform for us to touch millions and promote responsible drinking.

So with the 2006 season behind us, we look forward to 2007 when the #26 Crown Royal Ford Fusion will once again hit the track at the Daytona 500. And if you�?Tre ever in town for a race, pay attention the next time you hop in a cab because it just might be Jamie McMurray steering the ship.