Chevy IRL Season Review

Contact: Rick Voegelin
rickvoegelin@compuserve.com
GM Racing Communications
(831) 761-2201    
                            


IRL 2002 Season Review: Chevrolet Dominates in Successful Return to
Open-Wheel Competition

    DETROIT, Sept. 26, 2002 - It seemed like old times in the Indy
car winner's circle as Chevrolet drivers celebrated victories in 14 out of
15 events on the Indy Racing League schedule in 2002. While this
dominating performance duplicated the success of Chevy's previous
open-wheel racing program that produced 86 victories and five championships
in 1987-93, there were significant differences between the Chevy Indy V8
racing engines of yesterday and today.

    Nine years ago, Chevrolet competed in the PPG Indy Car World Series
with a turbocharged 2.65-liter engine that originated in England.
Chevrolet's return to open-wheel racing in 2002 was powered by a naturally
aspirated 3.5-liter racing engine designed and developed in-house by GM
Racing.

    "Chevrolet returned to open-wheel racing with clear goals - to win
the Indianapolis 500 and to win the IRL Manufacturers' and
Drivers' Championships," said Chevrolet General Manager Kurt Ritter. "We
achieved those objectives through the exceptional efforts of GM Racing
engineers, our affiliated engine builders and the talented teams and
drivers who made the Chevy Indy V8 the dominant engine in the IRL series."

    Sam Hornish Jr. won the first pole and led the first lap with the
new Chevy Indy V8 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on March 2, 2002. Seven
months and 3,100 laps later, Hornish clinched his second championship by
inches in the Chevy 500 season finale at Texas Motor Speedway. Between
these bookends to the 2002 season, eight Chevy drivers stood in the
winner's circle at tracks ranging from .75-mile bullrings to 2.5-mile
superspeedways: Hornish (5 victories), Helio Castroneves (2), Gil de Ferran
(2), Alex Barron (1), Airton Dare (1), Felipe Giaffone (1), Scott Sharp (1)
and Jeff Ward (1).

    Chevrolet engines swept the podium 13 times with 1-2-3 finishes,
powered 88 percent of the top-five finishers, led 78 percent of the laps,
and completed 61,781 racing miles. Chevy Indy V8 engines were the choice of
75 percent of the starters and 80 percent of the finishers in the 15-race
series.

    The Chevy Indy V8 was the successor to GM's first-generation IRL
engine that swept the series' championships five straight years. Sharing
the same architecture as its predecessor, the 2002 Chevy Indy V8 provided a
platform to develop and test technology that has been incorporated in the
all-new 2003 Chevy Indy V8.

    Employing the strategy that has made Chevrolet the most
successful manufacturer in American motorsports, GM Racing developed
long-term alliances with independent engine builders who supplied Chevy
Indy V8 engines to IRL teams. Four builders - Speedway Engine Development,
Ilmor Engineering, Comptech Machine and Roush Industries - prepared winning
Chevrolet engines in 2002. Indianapolis-based Speedway Engine Development
is the most prolific of the GM builders, providing engines that have won 19
IRL races and three consecutive drivers' championships.

    While power is a prerequisite for fast laps, Chevrolet engines
also demonstrated reliability for the long haul. Hornish completed 2,963
laps en route to the championship, the most among all IRL drivers, without
a single engine-related issue.

    "Chevrolet has been so good to work with this year, giving us
an opportunity to be a contender for the championship all year long,"
said Hornish after scoring his record fifth win of the season in Texas. "We
had zero engine problems. You can't look at many series and say that the
champion didn't have a single motor problem."

    Dependability is a cornerstone of Chevrolet's racing program, just as
it is in the division's production vehicles.

    "Success in the Indy Racing League is measured by more than a single
fast lap in qualifying," said GM Racing engineer Dick Amacher. "To be
successful over an entire season, you need an engine package that is
capable of running hundreds of laps with reliability as well as a high
level of performance. Dependability has been a focus of the Chevrolet
engine program since its inception, and that is reflected in the Chevy Indy
V8's exceptional finishing record. You need speed to finish up front, but
you also need reliability to be there at the end."

    With the 2002 season now in the record book, GM Racing engineers
are focused on development and validation of the next-generation Chevy Indy
V8 engine. The 2003 Chevy Indy V8 is 3 inches narrower, 3 inches shorter
and 35 pounds lighter than the championship-winning 2002 version. The
next-generation Chevy Indy V8 will make its competition debut at
Homestead-Miami Speedway on March 2, 2003.

    "Chevy races to win in every form of motorsports in which we
compete," said Steve Shannon, GM executive director - marketing services.
"We recognize that the bar will be raised next year with new manufacturers
entering the IRL series. This new Chevrolet racing engine, designed and
developed in-house at GM, is a symbol of our commitment to continue Chevy's
winning tradition. Wherever there's a winner's circle, Chevy will be
there."
                      

GEN 2 CHEVY INDY V8 CHRONOLOGY

June 5, 2001: Program announced
    Chevrolet General Manager Kurt Ritter announces Chevrolet's return
to open-wheel racing and the Indianapolis 500.

Oct. 30, 2001: First 500-mile dyno test
    Chevy Indy V8 successfully completes simulated 500-mile race
on dynamometer

Dec. 1, 2001: First track test
    Sam Hornish Jr. runs 456 trouble-free laps at Phoenix
International Raceway in first track test with Chevy Indy V8.

March 1, 2002: First Pole
    Sam Hornish Jr. puts new Chevy Indy V8 on pole at Homestead-Miami
Speedway with 202.884 mph qualifying lap.

March 2, 2002: First Victory
    Hornish leads all 200 laps and scores first victory for new Chevy Indy
V8 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Chevrolet engines sweep the first five
finishing positions.

May 11, 2001: First Indy 500 pole
    Bruno Junqueira puts Chevy Indy V8 on pole for Indianapolis 500
with four-lap average speed of 231.432 mph.

May 26, 2002: First Indy 500 victory
    Helio Castroneves wins Indianapolis 500 with Chevy Indy V8 at 166.499
mph average speed as Chevrolet powers 14 of first 15 finishers.

June 29, 2002: First IRL championship
    Sam Hornish Jr. clinches IRL Manufacturers' Championship for
Chevrolet with victory at Richmond International Raceway.

July 23, 2002: First test of third-generation Chevy Indy V8
    Third-generation 2003 Chevy Indy V8 successfully completes dyno test
and meets all initial performance objectives.

Sept. 15, 2002: Chevy wins Drivers' Championship
    Sam Hornish Jr. wins 2002 Drivers' Championship with record-setting
fifth victory of the season in Chevy 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.

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  E-mail from: Rick Voegelin, 27-Sep-2002