On Thursday, July 26, Indianapolis residents and race fans have the chance to take a back seat and witness #26-Jamie McMurray putting his driving skills to the test on the city streets of downtown Indianapolis during the Crown Royal “Safe Rides Home” program. As part of this designated driver initiative, McMurray will team with his primary race sponsor, the Crown Royal brand from Diageo, to deploy a fleet of replica purple and gold #26 Ford Fusion cars that will be offering local bar patrons free, safe rides home for two nights. To show his commitment, McMurray will get behind the wheel of one of the vehicles and provide free rides home to select consumers who sign up at special Crown Royal #26 taxi stands. Inspired by this signature program, Crown Royal recently debuted a national television advertising campaign featuring McMurray and the “Safe Rides Home” initiative. The campaign humorously shows McMurray being mentored by a New York City cab driver who details the finer aspects of driving people home. The message reminds consumers to drink responsibly and to always arrange for a safe ride home. This marks the third consecutive year the program has visited Indianapolis prior to the Brickyard race and, after servicing many Indianapolis residents with safe rides home the last couple years, Crown Royal will continue offering a second night to the program. McMurray’s appearance will kickoff the two-day program that aims to drive hundreds of Indianapolis residents home safely prior to the Allstate 400 at The Brickyard on July 29. The program is set to take place at the corner of Jackson Place and N. Meridian on Thursday, July 26, and at the corner of Broad Ripple Ave. and Guilford St. on Friday, July 27. Marked kiosks will accept “fares” from 8:00 pm – 1:00 am on both nights. In total, 10 Crown Royal Ford Fusions will be in rotation and residents within a 20-mile radius of downtown Indianapolis that are 21 years of age or older are eligible. For the second consecutive year, Crown Royal is the primary sponsor of the #26 Roush Fenway Racing Ford team driven by McMurray. This includes primary paint scheme of the #26 car at 23 races during the 2007 season, including Sunday’s race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. For more information on Crown Royal, visit www.crownroyal.com.(Crown Royal PR)(7-26-2007)
