What's in a name? For Jim Stewart there's a whole lot

America, get ready for Jim Stewart.

Jim Stewart, get ready for America.

NASCAR fans, get ready for the Crown Royal Presents the Jim Stewart 400 at Richmond International Raceway.

Stewart, a pipeline contractor from Houma, La., was chosen as the first person ever to have a sporting event named for him after winning the inaugural "Your Name Here 400" sweepstakes presented by Crown Royal.

Crown Royal judged the finalists based on written and video submissions chronicling consumers' favorite "Crown-Worthy" moments. A "Crown-Worthy" moment is defined as a memorable moment or occasion deemed "worthy" of toasting with a Crown Royal cocktail in a responsible manner (i.e., big promotion at work, bowling the perfect game, etc.). Stewart's winning entry chronicled his moments growing up fishing with his father and later christening his own fishing boat with a toast to his father.

"When I heard I had qualified as one of the nine finalists, that was a big deal," said the 34-year-old Stewart. "Going to Daytona and spending time with the other finalists, that was a big deal. It took several days for it to sink in that I had won. Imagining what my name will look like all over Richmond International Raceway is very overwhelming, and as it gets closer, I'm getting more nervous."

Stewart will have around 25 guests with him for the race, which is Saturday night at RIR. "When they found out I had won, a lot of friends and family were very helpful," he said with a laugh. He attended Daytona Speedweeks for the first time in February and will get to see a race at Richmond for the first time this week. He and his friends usually attend races at Talladega.

Stewart is even on a media tour of New York this week, preparing for the big weekend.

The promotion, dreamed up by Crown Royal a couple of years ago, has been very successful, according to senior brand manager Jim Lorenz.

"The response to this program has been overwhelming," he said. "We had more than 15,000 entries over the course of the season, and it gave us the opportunity to delight our fans. It's an ideal concept for us to be able to deliver.

"There's a certain 'wow' factor to this. It's really giving Jim Stewart the chance to be King for a Day."

It's also a boon for Richmond, according to senior marketing manager Matt Beacher.

"We're ecstatic about it," Beacher said. "We first started talking to Crown Royal about this two years ago, and once we realized the scope of the resources they wanted to put behind it, we were captivated by it.

"This is an entirely new dimension to our race weekend and to sports in general."

Much like other race entitlement sponsorships, Stewart's name will be recognized by NASCAR's broadcast and media partners as the race's official title. As guest of honor at America's Premiere Short Track, Stewart will take part in pre-race festivities at Richmond International Raceway, as well as participate in the check and trophy presentations to the race winner in Victory Lane. During race weekend he will also receive VIP accommodations for himself and a guest.

Crown Royal, as entitlement sponsor of the race, was able to swing the extra tickets for the group that will celebrate Stewart's big night with him, and that group includes the other eight finalists for the honor.

Crown Royal, part of the Diageo spirits empire, is in its third season as sponsor of Jack Roush's No. 26 Ford Fusion driven by Jamie McMurray, and Lorenz said the sport has welcomed his company with open arms.

"It's really been an enjoyable entry to the sport, and we quickly realized that it was all about the fans," Lorenz said. "They expect a certain level of quality from a brand like Crown Royal, and we have been happy to provide that to them."

As a spirits manufacturer, Crown Royal also uses its sports sponsorships to promote its aggressive "Be a Champion; Drink Responsibly" campaign. In this case, Crown Royal made a donation of $50,000 to RADD (Recording Artists, Actors & Athletes Against Drunk Driving) to help that organization's fight against the dangers of drunk driving.

The good news about the "Your Name Here 400" promotion is that it will be active for the 2008 spring race at RIR.

Lorenz, for one, is eager to keep this one going.

"It has been amazing," he said. "It was much easier to than we thought, and has been accepted instantly. They saw the fact that a great brand like Crown Royal was involved to this extent, and that makes us proud and gives us some validation of our programs."

Get ready, NASCAR Nation -- the countdown to Jim Stewart is but a few short days ahead.