#17- Matt Kenseth will be racing for more than a trip to Victory Lane during the EA Sports 500 on September 28 – he’ll be racing for charity as well. As part of Smirnoff Ice Triple Black’s “Race for Charity,”. $250 will be donated to R.A.D.D. for every lap Kenseth leads at the Talladega Superspeedway. This event is part of the Smirnoff Ice Triple Black “Be Smart, Drink Responsibly” program to promote responsible drinking. At a minimum, Smirnoff Ice Triple Black will donate $25,000 to the organization. “Smirnoff Ice Triple Black’s Race For Charity is part of our multi-faceted motorsports presence to promote our social responsibility programming to devoted adult NASCAR fans,” said James Stammer, Smirnoff senior brand manager. “From a charitable standpoint, I don’t think R.A.D.D. would want to have any other driver racing than the points leader racing for their cause.” The EA Sports 500 is the fifth of seven races this year that Smirnoff Ice Triple Black will serve as primary sponsor of Kenseth’s No. 17 Ford, furthering its “Be Smart, Drink Responsibly” program. To help fans at Talladega get more involved in the “Race For Charity,” Smirnoff Ice Triple Black will distribute 10,000 flags on designated seats in the track’s grandstand, instructing fans to wave the flags each time Kenseth leads a lap during the race.. Smirnoff Ice Triple Black will also have giant flags and banners on hand to ensure fan participation. During Winston Cup’s only other visit to Talladega earlier this year (April 6), Kenseth finished ninth.. For the year, he has finished in the top 15 in all but two races, has 20 top 10 finishes, 10 top five finishes, and has held the Winston Cup points lead in 23 of 26 races.(Alan Taylor Communications PR)(9-23-2003)
