Crown Royal selects five military heroes for contest

NEW YORK -- While race fans gear up for one of the biggest spectacles of the season at Daytona International Speedway, the makers of Crown Royal Canadian whisky, announced that fans will also have the opportunity to choose one of America's true heroes to receive naming rights to the Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway on May 1, 2010.

As part of the Crown Royal "Your Name Here" 400 contest, five finalists from various branches of the armed services have been selected to receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Daytona to participate in a special ceremony to unveil the grand-prize winner, as well as attend the historic Daytona 500. The finalists, in no specific order, are:

• Heath Calhoun, Army (retired), Clarksville, Tenn.
• Chris Dempsey, Army National Guard, Yuma, Ariz.
• Rick Hudson, Navy, Gulfport, Miss.
• Georgia Powell, Air National Guard, Harrisburg, Pa.
• Brian Speach, Army National Guard, Clifton Park, N.Y.

Crown Royal begins the season as primary sponsor of the No. 17 Ford driven by reigning Daytona 500 Champion Matt Kenseth. Along with all the activities surrounding the race in Richmond, Crown Royal will continue to fully integrate its "Please Drink Responsibly" messages into all of its NASCAR-themed initiatives, including its signature "Safe Rides Home" designated-driver event that has provided thousands of race fans rides home throughout the years.

This marks the first time in the four-year history of the Crown Royal "Your Name Here" program that only military service members were chosen as finalists. It also signifies the first time that fans will be able to cast their votes on www.crownroyal.com for whose name they think should be incorporated into the annual Cup Series event in Richmond. All the finalists were nominated by their family, friends or fellow soldiers for their ability to demonstrate the core values of the military in performing a selfless act that made them a hero.

"Crown Royal is fully committed to showing its support for military individuals that serve our country and the entitlement in Richmond is the perfect platform for us to elevate our support to the next level," said Rob Mason, senior brand manager, Crown Royal. "This year's finalists are truly first-class individuals that have accomplished amazing feats while they were serving overseas or at-home. We look forward to recognizing all their achievements to ensure they truly feel like royalty throughout their time in Daytona."

Some of the selfless acts of this year's finalists include resuscitating a boy after drowning and helping to save a group of local nationals who were critically injured. Fans of legal drinking age are encouraged to visit www.crownroyal.com to read a complete background on the finalists and to cast a vote. Voting ends on February 10, 2010. Media are invited to submit their individual votes to representatives of Crown Royal so they have their own voice in determining the winner.

The winner will be announced from Daytona on February 12 with all the finalists, Kenseth and representatives from Crown Royal and Richmond International Raceway in attendance.