Crown Royal Black 'Royal Rebel' Takes to the Track in Phoenix

New Crown Royal Whisky to Sponsor No. 17 Ford Fusion Driven by NASCAR Driver Matt Kenseth

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Apr 08, 2010, 09:43 ET

PHOENIX, April 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- When the dust settles for the upcoming NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Phoenix International Raceway, everything will be covered in Black, at least for Matt Kenseth. The former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion will have Crown Royal Black, the newest addition to the Crown Royal portfolio, serving as primary sponsor of the No. 17 Ford Fusion for at least 10 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events throughout the 2010 season.

"It's great to be able to use our NASCAR sponsorship to introduce our latest Crown Royal whisky to the millions of adult race fans that tune-in and follow our #17 team and driver each week," said Rob Mason, Senior Brand Manager, Crown Royal. "Crown Royal Black has a more robust, full-bodied flavor than the other Crown Royal whiskies and offer fans something new to try during their race celebrations whether at-home or at-track."

Beginning in Phoenix, the No. 17 Crown Royal Black Ford Fusion, which will be named the "Royal Rebel" car to showcase the boldness of the new whisky, will hit the track in an effort to encourage adult fans to enjoy the new product responsibly.

"We're really excited to be able to showcase Crown Royal Black throughout the season, as well as continue to reinforce the importance of drinking responsibly to our loyal race fans," said Kenseth. "The No. 17 Team and I tried Crown Royal Black during the off-season and we're looking forward to securing the #17 car a win and to continuing the celebration in Victory Lane at upcoming races."

As an added bonus, if the Crown Royal Black car finishes in the top-10 during any of the special paint scheme races, the first adult race fan to tweet "Crown Royal Black" and Matt's finishing position to @PR17CrownRoyal will receive a special phone call from Kenseth or a member of the No. 17 team.

The latest variant released by the makers of Crown Royal Canadian whisky, a subsidiary of Diageo plc (NYSE: DEO), will be the featured primary sponsor on the car for the upcoming NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events at Phoenix International Raceway, Texas Motor Speedway, Darlington Speedway, Dover International Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway (All-Star) and Michigan International Speedway, with the opportunity for additional races to be announced throughout the season. To learn more about Crown Royal Black, adult fans are encouraged to visit www.CrownRoyal.com.

About Crown Royal

Crown Royal Canadian whisky is the number one selling Canadian whisky brand in the US by value and 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 Canadian whisky's smooth, elegant style reflects its aristocratic origins and is considered the epitome of Canadian whisky. The Crown Royal Company is a primary sponsor of the No. 17 Roush Fenway Ford Fusion driven by Matt Kenseth. For more information visit 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 180 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 Diageo.com. For our global resource that promotes responsible drinking through the sharing of best practice tools, information and initiatives, visit DRINKiQ.com.

Celebrating life, every day, everywhere.

About Roush Fenway Racing

Roush Fenway Racing is NASCAR's largest team operating eight motorsports teams. Four in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with drivers Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and David Ragan; and four in the Nationwide Series with Edwards, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., Colin Braun, and Paul Menard. For more information on any of the Roush Fenway Racing teams, log onto www.RoushFenway.com. Become a fan of Roush Fenway Racing on Facebook by going to http://www.facebook.com/roushfenway. And for sponsorship inquiries please contact Robin Johnson at 704.720.4645.

    
    
    Contacts:     Gillian Cook                   Nicole Anastasi
                  Diageo                         Taylor
                  646 223 2326                   704.796.9992
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SOURCE Diageo