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CART: Heitzler named Chairman of CART Board of Directors

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

June 6, 2001

DETROIT - Championship Auto Racing Teams President and Chief Executive Officer Joseph F. Heitzler has been named Chairman of the Board of Directors for the open-wheel racing sanctioning organization.

The announcement was made by acting CART Chairman and Board member James Hardymon.

"I am very pleased to be able to make this announcement," said Hardymon. "I view Joe's commitment to building the CART organization and its racing product as an asset to the company. We look forward to Joe's leadership and direction at the Board level."

Heitzler joined CART last December as the company's President and CEO.

"I am honored to be named to lead the CART Board of Directors," said Heitzler. "I am particularly pleased to be working with all the talented and committed people who are dedicated to building CART racing. I believe that the opportunities for growth and expansion of our sport are numerous and it is the mission of those of us on the Board to lead CART to future successes.

"Also, on behalf of all the Board members, I want to thank Jim Hardymon for his dedication and hard work, serving in the capacity of Chairman of the Board for the past year."

The CART Board of Directors is comprised of CART Champ Car team owners Gerald Forsythe, Chip Ganassi, Barry Green, Carl Haas, U.E. 'Pat' Patrick and Derrick Walker, as well as James Henderson, Bert Roberts, Jr. and Fred Tucker, all of whom join Hardymon and Heitzler on the Board.

Championship Auto Racing Teams, Inc. owns, operates and markets the FedEx Championship Series. The series visits seven countries and four continents during the season and climaxes with the season-ending Marlboro 500 Presented by Toyota on Sunday, Nov. 4 at California Speedway in Fontana, Calif. Thanks to a partnership among Marlboro, Toyota, CART and California Speedway, the winner of the season finale will collect $1 million, one of the largest paydays in all of motorsports. An additional $1 million, as well as the prestigious Vanderbilt Cup, will be awarded to the driver who wins the FedEx Championship Series title.

Text provided by Ron Richards

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