More About Crown Royal 400

Throughout the years, this race has fluctuated between 100 and 500 laps, finally settling on 400 in 1976. The names went from simply "Richmond" to "Pontiac", after the car company. There was also the "Pontiac Excitement" and "Chevy American Revolution" before finally the Crown Royal 400 race in 2006. The race had a particularly memorable finish in 1986 when it was called the Miller High Life 400. Dale Earnhardt spun out Darrell Waltrip and Kyle Petty snuck by to steal the win. In 2007, Crown Royal decided to add another unique twist to the race by implementing an essay contest, the winner of which would have the race named after them. The first fan to achieve glory was Jim Stewart, of Houma, Louisiana. Dan Lowry of Columbiana, Ohio was next, followed by Russell Friedman, who hails from Huntington, New York. As the race's reputation for excitement grew, so did it's popularity. The race had always enjoyed success on cable television, including channels TBS, ESPN, and FX. The Crown Royal Presents Your Name Here 400 has been broadcast on network television since 2007, when Fox began airing it. Past winners of the race include Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Clint Bowyer, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Tony Stewart, Dale Jarrett, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt, and of course Kyle Petty in that crazy finish from the 1986 race. This year's race has already come and gone, but it is never too late to start making plans for next year! Perhaps you can win the essay contest (it takes place during Daytona Speedweek) and attend the race named after you. If not, you can always purchase Crown Royal 400 tickets for the 2010 race from our website.