JIM BEAM® BOURBON RENEWS RACE SPONSORSHIP WITH ROBBY GORDON FOR A FIFTH YEAR

JIM BEAM® BOURBON RENEWS RACE SPONSORSHIP WITH ROBBY GORDON FOR A FIFTH YEAR
Jim Beam and Robby Gordon have teamed up for another year of racing. Possibly that’s old news to you since it was announced days ago. Being honest with you, I am not much of a race fan in terms of knowing what goes on with the entire sport. The closest I have been to it is bartending days on NASCAR night serving drinks to men and women alike who truly get into the spirit of the race within their NASCAR club. It is serious business, yet carried out in the atmosphere of entertainment.

What I found interesting is how involved the Jim Beam site is with racing. I noticed it the first time I cruised around the site for information not long ago. The press release that follows gave me the perfect opportunity to go back for another look to see a few more things Jim Beam has to offer in addition to their time honored Kentucky Bourbon. Any good liquor site will tell the basics about their spirit, but Jim Beam offers the basics and more about their other interests and offerings; namely Robby Gordon and racing. Like I said, I didn’t know much about #7, but with the help of Jim Beam and “The Official Spirit of Racing” I found out the basics and realized this really is the place for the inside track of information. Below are a few interesting bits of data about Robby Gordon found on the Jim Beam site. You can’t help but like a guy who loves Mexican food and wants to get the most out of life.
Robby Gordon

Date of birth: Jan. 2, 1969

Place of birth: Bellflower, CA

Hometown: Orange, CA

Residences: Cornelius, NC and Anaheim Hills, CA

Marital status: Single

Parents: Bob and Marlene Gordon

Hobbies: Boating, mountain biking, motorcycle riding, water skiing, wakeboarding, skyski and karting

First Car: 1977 Red Chevy Blazer (2-wheel drive)

Favorite toy: Trophy Truck

Racing heroes: Parnelli Jones, Rick Mears and A.J. Foyt

Philosophy on life: Get the most out of life

Best advice to another: Don’t accept no for an answer

Favorite music: Country

Favorite food: Mexican

Favorite restaurant: Nobu (Las Vegas)

Favorite racing memory: Finishing second to Dale Earnhardt at Talladega (1996 IROC)

Mental preparation for a race: Game plan session with crew chief

Physical preparation for a race: Hydration and rest

Pre-race ritual: Eating a turkey sandwich

Sources: RobbyGordonRocks.com; Nascar.com

Media Release: JIM BEAM® BOURBON RENEWS RACE SPONSORSHIP WITH ROBBY GORDON FOR A FIFTH YEAR
World’s #1 bourbon to serve as a primary sponsor of Robby Gordon for 13 races during the 2009 NASCAR® Sprint Cup Series™ season
Deerfield, Ill. (December 12, 2008) – Jim Beam® Bourbon, the world’s No. 1-selling bourbon, announced today that it will continue its partnership with Robby Gordon Motorsports (RGM) as a primary sponsor of the No. 7 driven by team owner and veteran driver Robby Gordon during the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.

“With so many teams merging or taking on investors, Robby Gordon represents a one-of-a-kind driver and owner in NASCAR’s top racing series. His tenacity and commitment shows he has the competitive spirit, that our customers value and respect,” said Brian Gallagher, Motorsports Marketing Manager, Jim Beam. “We are proud to continue our support of Robby and his race team as they demonstrate true character and achieve success on the track.”

Jim Beam will be the primary sponsor for 13 Sprint Cup Series races in 2009, and will serve as an associate sponsor for the remaining events. The deal marks the company’s fifth year of partnership with RGM, a relationship that began when Gordon created the team in 2005.

“Jim Beam has been with me since the beginning,” said Gordon. “To have them back with us for a fifth straight year is exciting and a credit to everyone here at RGM. It’s challenging being one of the few single-car teams remaining and yet, we have shown we can still be competitive. With Jim Beam’s continued support for the No. 7 team, we can focus on improving our race program and build our way towards a successful 2009 season.”

Jim Beam will utilize its sponsorship to reach race fans both on and off the track through a variety of racing related promotions, including the second annual Beam Bash, a concert featuring Grammy-nominated country music duo, Montgomery Gentry, scheduled to take place prior to the Daytona race weekend. Gordon will also support and serve as spokesperson for Beam Global Spirits & Wine reminding legal age consumers to drink responsibly throughout the year. Through its drink smart® responsibility platform, Beam Global educates consumers on how to make responsible decisions about alcohol and reminds them of these six basic principles: Respect Others, Obey the Law, Take Responsibility, Drink in Moderation, Be a Responsible Host and Drive Safe.

Robby Gordon finished the 2008 season in the top-35, which guarantees the No. 7 a starting spot in the first five races of the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. The team scored three top-10 and seven top-20 finishes and displayed a solid performance at the superspeedway events, finishing second in restrictor-plate points.

Gordon, 39, a six-time off-road champion and owner/driver of Robby Gordon Motorsports started his own NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team in 2005 after spending three seasons driving for Richard Childress Racing. Gordon, a versatile driver has competed in a variety of series including NASCAR Sprint Cup, NASCAR Nationwide Series, Indy Cars, SCORE International Off-Road, sports cars and the prestigious Dakar Series. He swept both 2003 road course races in NASCAR’s top series and is a three-time off-road Baja 500 and three-time Baja 1000 winner. In addition, in 2007 Gordon became the first American in history to win a stage in the Dakar Rally, a grueling two-week off-road adventure.

Jim Beam Racing 2009 Primary NASCAR Sprint Cup Events

· 2/15/09-Daytona

· 2/22/09-California

· 3/1/09-Las Vegas

· 4/5/09-Texas

· 4/26/09-Talladega

· 5/16/09-All-Star, Charlotte

· 5/24/09-Charlotte

· 6/14/09-Michigan

· 7/11/09-Chicago

· 9/6/09-Atlanta

· 9/12/09-Richmond

· 11/15/09-Phoenix

· 11/22/09-Homestead-Miami

About Robby Gordon Motorsports

Based in Huntersville, N.C., and owned by Gordon, will enter its fifth season of competition in 2009 in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and will continue to operate successful racing programs in the SCORE International Off-Road desert series, The Dakar Series and the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

About Beam Global Spirits & Wine:

Inspiring conversations around the world, Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc., is building brands people want to talk about. Consumers from all corners of the globe call for our brands, including Jim Beam® Bourbon, Sauza® Tequila, Canadian Club® Whisky, Courvoisier® Cognac, Maker’s Mark® Bourbon, Laphroaig® Scotch Whisky, Cruzan® Rum, Larios® Gin, Whisky DYC®, Teacher’s® Scotch Whisky, DeKuyper® Cordials and Liqueurs, Knob Creek® Bourbon and Starbucks™ Liqueurs. Beam Global Spirits & Wine is part of Fortune Brands, Inc. (NYSE:FO), a leading consumer brands company with annual sales exceeding $8 billion. For more information on Beam Global Spirits & Wine, its brands, and its commitment to social responsibility, please visit www.beamglobal.com and www.drinksmart.com

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