TEAM RAHAL SWEEPS FIRST AND SECOND
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE BREMBO SPONSORED TEAM RAHAL SWEEPS FIRST AND SECOND IN GERMANY Victory propels Kenny Brack into the CART championship lead LAUSITZ, GERMANY-Brembo sponsored Team Rahal's Kenny Brack and Max Papis finished first and second in the The American Memorial at EuroSpeedway on Saturday, September 15, 2001, securing the first one-two finish in team history. Brack led 82 laps, including the last 13 of the race, en route to capturing his fourth Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) win of the 2001 season. Brack's victory is his sixth top-five result of the 2001 season and pushed Team Rahal's Shell driver into the lead for the CART Championship with 131 points with five racings remaining. CART's debut race in Europe was renamed from the German 500 to The American Memorial to honor the victims of last week's terrorist attacks in the United States. The pre-race ceremonies included a 30-minute tribute to honor the victims. Brack started second in the Shell Ford-Cosworth/Lola, his eighth front row start of the 2001 season, and took the lead on the first lap. Brack led the first 63 laps of the race before surrendering the lead. He led two other times and took the lead for good on lap 142 when Alex Zanardi pitted. For Brack the win allowed him to reclaim the lead in the CART championship by eleven points over second place Gil de Ferran (131-120) and to continue his dominance on the ovals in 2001. "We had a pretty good car all day, but we tried to make sure we didn't have to pit one more time in the end and that strategy paid off," said Brack. "This was a needed result in our quest for the championship." Miller Genuine Draft driver Max Papis drove brilliantly, moving through the field from his starting spot of 16th to secure his second podium finish of the 2001 season. "The racing today was very good and I think the Miller car was one of the fastest out there," said Papis. "We came from 16th to second and that is all there is to say." (more) "Going to a new circuit is a test of a team, especially when the weather contrives to limit track time," said Bobby Rahal, co-owner of Team Rahal. "The value of teamwork was magnified especially with the tragedy last week and the fact that the team members were a long way from home and their loved ones. With this success I can't think of a moment in the history of Team Rahal when I have been prouder." Brembo has been a partner of Team Rahal for almost a decade, providing brake system development services for the Hilliard, Ohio based Champ Car team. "We congratulate the Team Rahal drivers and crew for their magnificent performance under incredibly difficult circumstances, " said Ken Miller, President, Brembo North America. "Brembo is extremely proud to be a technical partner and sponsor of such an accomplished team." The win is Team Rahal's fifth of the season establishing a new team mark for victories in a season. The previous record of four was set in 1992 when Bobby Rahal was the team's lone driver. Rahal's four wins propelled him to the 1992 CART championship Team Rahal is a franchise member of Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART). Headquartered in Hilliard, Ohio, the team owned by three-time CART Champion Bobby Rahal and CBS LATE SHOW host David Letterman, currently fields a pair of Championship Cars for Max Papis and 2000 CART Rookie of the Year Kenny Brack in the CART FedEx Championship Series. The 90-member team enjoys primary sponsorship from Shell/Texaco Alliance and Miller Brewing Company. Established in 1961 in Bergamo, Italy, Brembo S.p.A., is a world leader and design innovator of automotive brake technology and is a QS-9000 and ISO 9001 certified supplier of Original Equipment braking systems to the global market of passenger cars, light trucks, motorcycles and commercial vehicles. Brembo proved its leadership in braking system technology with innumerable international motorsports championships and continues to develop and refine its braking system technology in the world's most famous racing venues: NASCAR, CART, Formula 1, FIA World Championship Rally, and Superbike. Brembo S.p.A., established Brembo North America in order to better serve Brembo enthusiasts in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. BREMBO NORTH AMERICA offers a comprehensive line of brake components and systems ranging from Original Equipment and direct Original Equipment replacement parts to Racing and High-Performance upgrades as well as performance Motorcycle brake components and systems. Brembo North America operates from its Costa Mesa, California headquarters and facilities in Laredo, Texas; Novi, Michigan, and Charlotte, North Carolina. For more information please visit www.brembo.com, or contact Brembo North America, 1585 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626-1532; Tel: (800) 325-3994.