DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Liz Steedman and three guests won the opportunity to take part in the ultimate racing experience -- the Jim Beam 1100. The promotion gives them the opportunity to do what professional drivers have not done since 2003: take part in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600, witnessing 1100 miles of racing in the same day.
Steedman and her guests will receive VIP treatment for the entire race weekend, beginning with exclusive access to sponsor and celebrity events Thursday through Saturday, May 24-26 in Indianapolis. Then Sunday, May 27, the group will do "double duty," attending the Indianapolis 500 and then traveling to Charlotte for the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. At each track, they will enjoy the race from an exclusive VIP suite. Steedman's group will also have the opportunity to meet the drivers of the Jim Beam Indy car and Jim Beam stock car -- Indy legend and Andretti Green Racing co-owner Michael Andretti and NASCAR driver / owner Robby Gordon.
"The Jim Beam 1100 demonstrates our understanding that race fans, like great drivers, have an almost unquenchable thirst for motorsports," said Jim Beam manager of motorsports Brian Gallagher. "Drivers long considered 'double duty,' competing in the Indy 500, then flying directly to Charlotte and climbing aboard a stock car for another 600 miles, to be the ultimate challenge. For fans who share an authentic love for racing, the last Sunday in May is the biggest day in motorsports. What better way to show appreciation for fans than provide this type of opportunity."
Steedman and her guests will start the weekend in Indianapolis for the 91st running of the Indianapolis 500. Before the race even starts, Steedman will participate in a memorable Indy experience -- a high-speed ride around the famed Brickyard in a two-seat Indy car driven by Michael Andretti. Then on Sunday, the group will watch Andretti drive the Jim Beam / Motorola Honda-powered Dallara as he returns to the Brickyard to try and capture his first-ever Indianapolis 500 victory.
Following the Indy 500, Steedman and her guests will travel from the Brickyard to Indianapolis International Airport via helicopter. There the party will board two private jets and fly to Charlotte to watch the longest and most physically challenging race of the NASCAR season.
When the checkered flag waves at Lowe's Motor Speedway upon completion of the Coca-Cola 600, the VIP experience for Steedman continues. She and her guests will be shuttled to the track's infield, where they will meet Robby Gordon, driver of the No. 7 Jim Beam Ford Fusion. The meeting with Gordon is a fitting end for the weekend, as he is the last driver to have run in both the Indy 500 and the NASCAR race on the same day, accomplishing the feat in 2002 and 2003.
"I think Jim Beam's sponsorship of the Jim Beam 1100 is a great way to give fans the chance to do what we haven't been able to do in several years," said Gordon. "I'm sure [they] will make the experience as fun for Liz as it was when I completed both races as a driver in 2002 and 2003."
Steedman credits her grand-prize winning entry to her own interest in staying informed about the latest racing news. She entered the Jim Beam 1100 Sweepstakes after she saw it advertised on NASCAR.COM and clicked through to the contest entry page on the Jim Beam site. She considers herself an avid race fan, and has attended several races at Dover International Speedway, the track nearest her Ocean City, Md. home.
Steedman and her guests will receive VIP treatment for the entire race weekend, beginning with exclusive access to sponsor and celebrity events Thursday through Saturday, May 24-26 in Indianapolis. Then Sunday, May 27, the group will do "double duty," attending the Indianapolis 500 and then traveling to Charlotte for the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. At each track, they will enjoy the race from an exclusive VIP suite. Steedman's group will also have the opportunity to meet the drivers of the Jim Beam Indy car and Jim Beam stock car -- Indy legend and Andretti Green Racing co-owner Michael Andretti and NASCAR driver / owner Robby Gordon.
"The Jim Beam 1100 demonstrates our understanding that race fans, like great drivers, have an almost unquenchable thirst for motorsports," said Jim Beam manager of motorsports Brian Gallagher. "Drivers long considered 'double duty,' competing in the Indy 500, then flying directly to Charlotte and climbing aboard a stock car for another 600 miles, to be the ultimate challenge. For fans who share an authentic love for racing, the last Sunday in May is the biggest day in motorsports. What better way to show appreciation for fans than provide this type of opportunity."
Steedman and her guests will start the weekend in Indianapolis for the 91st running of the Indianapolis 500. Before the race even starts, Steedman will participate in a memorable Indy experience -- a high-speed ride around the famed Brickyard in a two-seat Indy car driven by Michael Andretti. Then on Sunday, the group will watch Andretti drive the Jim Beam / Motorola Honda-powered Dallara as he returns to the Brickyard to try and capture his first-ever Indianapolis 500 victory.
Following the Indy 500, Steedman and her guests will travel from the Brickyard to Indianapolis International Airport via helicopter. There the party will board two private jets and fly to Charlotte to watch the longest and most physically challenging race of the NASCAR season.
When the checkered flag waves at Lowe's Motor Speedway upon completion of the Coca-Cola 600, the VIP experience for Steedman continues. She and her guests will be shuttled to the track's infield, where they will meet Robby Gordon, driver of the No. 7 Jim Beam Ford Fusion. The meeting with Gordon is a fitting end for the weekend, as he is the last driver to have run in both the Indy 500 and the NASCAR race on the same day, accomplishing the feat in 2002 and 2003.
"I think Jim Beam's sponsorship of the Jim Beam 1100 is a great way to give fans the chance to do what we haven't been able to do in several years," said Gordon. "I'm sure [they] will make the experience as fun for Liz as it was when I completed both races as a driver in 2002 and 2003."
Steedman credits her grand-prize winning entry to her own interest in staying informed about the latest racing news. She entered the Jim Beam 1100 Sweepstakes after she saw it advertised on NASCAR.COM and clicked through to the contest entry page on the Jim Beam site. She considers herself an avid race fan, and has attended several races at Dover International Speedway, the track nearest her Ocean City, Md. home.