Responsible NASCAR Fans Rewarded at Michigan International Speedway

(left to right) Jordan Jiloty, NASCAR Director of Public Affairs; David Downs, guest of RHIR winner; Wesley Keister, RHIR winner and Designated driver for the Race; James Krohl, Anheuser-Busch; Jessica Thurston, Program Associate for TEAM Coalition“We want all of our fans to have a great time at Michigan International Speedway,” president Roger Curtis said. “We want all of our fans to be safe both at the race and on the way home. We applaud these fans that made the responsible choice to be designated drivers for their friends or family this past weekend.”

“Anheuser-Busch has led our industry in promoting responsible drinking for more than 30 years and Budweiser Good Sport is one of our most visible programs, which reminds fans who choose to drink, to do so responsibly and get their friends home safely,” said Kathy Casso, vice president, Corporate Social Responsibility at Anheuser-Busch. “We all share the same streets after the race. This partnership with Auto Club Speedway, TEAM and the fans displays our collective responsibility to help keep our roads safe.”

“The success of the Responsibility Has Its Rewards campaign is a direct result of the commitment from our members and all the designated-driver program partners, including the tracks and beer companies,” said Jill Pepper, executive director of TEAM Coalition. “Teamwork is what this campaign is all about. We are demonstrating that when everyone – including the fans – takes responsibility, everyone wins.”

NATIONAL CAMPAIGN: Responsibility Has Its Rewards™

RHIR PARTNERS INCLUDE:

• Michigan International Speedway
• Budweiser
• TEAM Coalition (Techniques for Effective Alcohol Management)

Click here to see all the Michigan International Speedway fan photos on Facebook

   WHO: Fans and the Community

WHAT: Michigan International Speedway, Budweiser and TEAM Coalition rewarded fans who pledged to be designated drivers, which means they are over 21 years of age, they promised not to drink alcohol at the race and they promised to provide safe transportation home from the race for their group. Responsible fans autographed a responsibility backdrop and received a free souvenir photo.

WHERE: Michigan International Speedway

WHEN: Sunday, August 17th, 2014

About Michigan International Speedway
Nestled in the lush Irish Hills of Southeastern Michigan, Michigan International Speedway is NASCAR’s fastest track and the Great Escape, a venerable NASCAR national park where fans can get away and enjoy the very best in racing and camaraderie. It’s the love of racing and the thrill of a great time for race fans and drivers alike. Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Mich., boasts a proud, 43-year history of hosting America’s best racing action on its 1,400-plus acres in the scenic Irish Hills. With 18 degree banking and 73-foot wide sweeping turns, Michigan International Speedway provides drivers with three and four grooves to run around the two-mile speedway. When Michigan International Speedway opened in 1968, the 12,000-seat center grandstand stood overlooking the new two-mile oval, a symbol of a new era for the Irish Hills area. For more information visit www.mispeedway.com

About Anheuser-Busch
For more than three decades, Anheuser-Busch and its nationwide network of wholesalers have invested more than $1 billion in national advertising campaigns and community-based programs to promote responsible drinking, prevent underage drinking and drunk driving and address college issues. For more information on these alcohol responsibility efforts and the progress being made, visit www.anheuser-busch.com.

About TEAM Coalition
TEAM Coalition is an alliance of professional and collegiate sports, entertainment facilities, concessionaires, stadium service providers, the beer industry, distillers, broadcasters, governmental traffic safety experts, and others working together to promote responsible drinking and positive fan behavior at sports and entertainment facilities. TEAM’s members and supporters include NASCAR, Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, the National Basketball Association, the National Football League, the National Hockey League, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, Aramark, Delaware North Companies Sportservice, Ovations Food Services, Beer Institute, National Beer Wholesalers Association, Anheuser-Busch, MillerCoors, Brown-Forman, Live Nation, National Association of Broadcasters, Contemporary Services Corporation, Elite, International Association of Venue Managers, Stadium Managers Association and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

For more information, go to www.TEAMCoalition.org, www.FansDontLetFansDriveDrunk.org or www.RHIR.org.

US DOT / NHTSA 2012 NATIONAL DATA:

• In 2012, 10,322 people were killed as a result of alcohol-related (BAC > 0.08) car crashes, an increase of 4.6% from the 9,865 fatalities in 2011.
• Many, if not most of those lives would have been saved if people did not drive when they were impaired by alcohol or if they used sober, designated drivers or if they simply wore their seat belts.
• Statistics and research clearly show that 21-34 year old males are the demographic most likely to be involved in an automobile crash, drive when impaired by alcohol, and fail to buckle up.