2003 INDIANA FORD FOCUS MIDGET CAR SERIES ANNOUNCED

SEPTEMBER 25, 2002 


Officials of the United States Auto Club (USAC) and Ford Racing have 
announced the formation of the "Indiana USAC Ford Focus Midget Car Racing 
Series" for the 2003 racing season. 

The series will consist of approximately 20 events held on a combination of 
dirt and paved race tracks in Indiana. The Indiana USAC Ford Focus Midget 
Car Racing Series joins the USAC Ford Focus Midget Car Racing Series 
presented by The Southern California Ford Dealers as the second region for 
the "USAC Ford Focus Midgets" in the United States. 

"There wasn't much debate where we'd expand the series to next," said Dan 
Davis, director, Ford Racing Technology. "With Indianapolis being the home 
of USAC and the heart of Midget Racing in America, bringing the series to 
the region was natural."
 
The USAC Ford Focus Midget Car Series features USAC Midget cars powered by 
a "spec" Ford Focus 2.0L Zetec engine. The Ford Focus Zetec engine, the same 
one found in the world's best-selling car, the Ford Focus, is an affordable 
sealed spec engine, designed to bring new competitors to USAC Midget Car 
competition from quarter midgets, go karts, as well as other forms of local 
racing such as IMCA style modifieds and local track stock cars. 
The Ford Focus Midget Cars 178 HP engine has mechanical fuel injection as 
well as an onboard starter and battery to eliminate the need for push trucks 
during USAC Ford Focus Midget Car Racing Series events. USAC competitors 
have enthusiastically received the Ford engine package for its power, 
drivability and reliability in the first season of racing in Southern 
California. 

"The USAC Ford Focus Midget Car Series seems to have struck a cord with 
Midget Racing fans and industry insiders alike as a step in the right 
direction to making entry level Midget Racing affordable to the masses and 
practical," said Davis. 

"This is an exciting extension of our current Ford Focus Midget Car program 
in California," said Rollie Helmling, President and CEO of the United States 
Auto Club. "We envision this type of racing opening doors from many 
prospective future open-wheel racing stars and teams and offering an 
affordable avenue for drivers to hone their talents. We are very pleased 
with the progress of our western series in its formative year and look for 
this Indiana series to be extremely competitive." 

In related news, USAC staffer Eric Bunn has been appointed to the post of 
National Coordinator for the USAC Ford Focus Midget Car Series and will 
oversee the operations of the new Indiana series. 

For further information on Ford Focus Midget Car Racing or the Indiana Ford 
Focus Midget Car Racing Series, contact the United States Auto Club at (317) 
247-5151.