Richmond preview

Crown Royal International Race of Champions
Race Three - Richmond International Raceway
Thursday, September 9, 2004

The following is the Crown Royal IROC starting lineup for Thursday's 90-lap, 67.5-mile race. The start time is 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time and will be broadcast live by Speed Channel.

Race Three Line Up - Inversion of the point standings: The driver with the most points will start last and the driver having the least amount of points will start on the pole. The field of 12 starts two abreast, six rows.

<pre> Grid

CAR #  Driver            Residence              Representing            Points
1.  80 J. J. Yeley       Indianapolis, IN       USAC                    9
2.   1 Scott Dixon       Indianapolis, IN       IRL IndyCar Series      13
3.   8 Scott Sharp       Jupiter, FL            IRL IndyCar Series      15
4.  17 Matt Kenseth      Mooresville, N.C.      NASCAR NEXTEL Cup       17
5.  11 Steve Kinser      Bloomington, IN        World of Outlaws        17
6.  03 Helio Castroneves Miami, Fla.            IRL IndyCar Series      17
7.  24 Travis Kvapil     Mooresville, N.C.      NASCAR Craftsman Truck  17
8.  97 Kurt Busch        Concord, N.C.          NASCAR NEXTEL Cup       24
9.  48 Jimmie Johnson    Mooresville, N.C.      NASCAR NEXTEL Cup       32
10. 20 Danny Lasoski     Dover, MO              World of Outlaws        32
11. 12 Ryan Newman       Mooresville, NC        NASCAR NEXTEL Cup       33
12. 29 Kevin Harvick     Winston-Salem, N.C.    NASCAR NEXTEL Cup       33

</pre> Richmond IROC Facts

* First Short Track Event: The inaugural event for the Crown Royal IROC Series at Richmond International Raceway will be the first short-track event in the series' history.

* Track Configuration -Three-quarter mile, "D" shaped banked oval. 14-degrees of banking in the turns, eight-degrees at the starting line, two-degrees on the 860 foot backstretch. Front stretch is 1290 feet.

* Starting Time: 7:30 p.m. EST

* Television Broadcast: Live on Speed Channel

* Distance - 67.5 miles, 90 laps (Yellow flag laps do not count.) No pit stop required.

* 111th IROC Series Race

* The Shootout - New for the 2004 Crown Royal IROC Series is the shootout segment built into the final portion of each event.

The purpose of this format change is to heighten the level of competition within each race. Awarding bonus points for the first three positions adds incentive to get to the front of the pack during the first segment of the race.

The lap number ending the first segment will be determined and announced by Crown Royal IROC officials after race conditions have been accessed during race week testing.

A competition yellow will signal the realignment of the field.

o The Incentive: The top three positions are awarded bonus point of 3, 2, and 1, respectively.

o The Leader's Perk: The leader will restart in a single row ahead of the remainder of the field.

o Lane Choice: Positions two through 12 will realign in double file rows. Each driver, one-by-one in ascending order, will choose to restart in either the inside lane or outside lane.

Example: If the driver in the 2nd position chooses to restart in the outside lane, the driver in 3rd position can either go to the inside of 2nd position, forming row one behind the leader, or go behind 2nd position in the outside lane. If the driver in 3rd position chooses to restart in the outside lane, behind the driver in 2nd position, the driver in 4th position can choose to move all the way up to the inside of the first row behind the leader.

o The level of advantage regarding lane choice varies from venue to venue. Giving the driver lane choice adds another dimension of individual strategy to the event.

Richmond Facts

* 2004 Crown Royal IROC cars - New for the 2004 Crown Royal IROC Series, the car numbers and colors are assigned at the start of the season and will remain with the driver throughout the four-race season. Numbers and colors will simulate the driver's native series team.

* Blind Draw - Racecar assignments are determined by a blind draw - Out of the stable of Crown Royal IROC Cars brought to the event 12 will be selected based on their equivalence in speed and performance during pre-race testing. The cars are identified and drawn for by chassis numbers.

* Purse Total - $1.9 million with $1,000,000 awarded to the Champion based on points standings at the end of the fourth race.

2004 Crown Royal IROC Series Schedule:

Race One, Daytona International Speedway, Friday, February 13 (Winner - Ryan Newman).

Race Two, Texas Motor Speedway, Friday, April 2 (Winner - Danny Lasoski).

Race Three, Richmond International Raceway, Thursday, September 9.

Race Four, Atlanta Motor Speedway, Saturday, October 30.

About the International Race of Championsl
IROC is auto racing's All-Star Game. It is an invitational auto racing series that matches 12 drivers from different disciplines of auto racing in equally prepared cars. The Series consists of four 100-mile races with points awarded for finishing positions. At the end of the fourth race, points are tallied and a champion of champions is named.

About Crown Royal
Crown Royal, America's leading super premium whisky, 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's smooth, elegant style reflects its aristocratic origins and is considered the epitome of Canadian whisky. In addition to its sponsorship of the Crown Royal IROC Series, the brand also sponsors Team Crown Royal, a professional fishing team; The Crown Royal Comedy Soul Fest and a number of other major regional and national events. For more information on Crown Royal, visit www.crownroyal.com.

Crown Royal is proudly owned by Diageo, 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.

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