CADILLAC AT 1ST SEBRING

GM Celebrates 50 Years At Sebring

Cadillac LMP and Corvette C5-R Continue Tradition

SEBRING, Fla.,- This year's celebration of Sebring's 50th anniversary is also an exciting moment in time for General Motors as GM brands have an association with the 12 Hours of Sebring beginning with the very first race in 1952.

INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE
For 50 years, Sebring has challenged the world's most famous international manufacturers and is North America's oldest endurance road race. In addition to GM, Ferrari, Porsche, Alfa Romeo, Lotus and Audi are among the many names to have competed in this grueling 12-hour endurance contest.

CADILLAC AT 1ST SEBRING
Cadillac is the first GM brand to appear in the record books having powered a pair of cycle-fendered Allard J2X sports cars for the inaugural 1952 race. Unfortunately, both cars fell victim to transmission woes. In 1953, a Cad-Allard finished 116 laps to earn a 2nd in class. Cadillac powered Allards were also in 1954 and the last in 1955.

CADILLAC ENTERS TWO LMPS 50 YEARS LATER
For the 2002 12 Hours of Sebring, Team Cadillac will enter two Cadillac Northstar LMPs. These state-of-the art prototypes are totally new designs and are powered by twin turbo race engines based on the production car Northstar engine. The Cadillac Northstar LMPs will compete at Sebring for the second time, and will fight for the third time for a win at the 24 Hours of LeMans in June. In addition, the Cadillacs will run in four additional American Le Mans Series (ALMS) races this year.

206 CORVETTE ENTRIES
Corvette has been the major GM brand to attack the 12-hour race. The first Corvette appeared in 1954 and the marque boasts a total of 206 entries since, second only to Porsche with 831 entries. Virtually every Corvette model from 1954 forward has undertaken the Sebring challenge including the very rare Corvette Grand Sport, the limited production Corvette SS and the production Stingray.

CORVETTE CLAIMS 13 CLASS WINS
Corvette has not claimed an outright win at Sebring, but has recorded a best overall finish of third in 1973. Corvette does have 13 class wins to date.

CORVETTE C5-RS RETURN
Corvette Racing, the official factory backed race team, will enter the two Millennium Yellow Corvette C5-Rs, which were so successful in 2001 season. The team finished second and third in GTS at Sebring last year and went on to record GTS class wins in six of the eight races in the ALMS. Corvette Racing also captured the Manufacturers' Championship for Chevrolet. The team also and finished first and fourth overall - first and second in GTS -- at the 24 Hours of Daytona, and first and second in GTS at 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Following Sebring, Corvette Racing will return to France for the third go at LeMans and will defend the GTS championship entering all ten races of the ALMS series.

OTHER GM BRANDS AT SEBRING
Other GM brands that have entered and competed at Sebring over the years include Chevrolet Lumina, Camaro, Monza and Beretta, Oldsmobile Toronado and Cutlass, Pontiac Grand Prix, Fiero, Tempest and Firebird.

GM POWER PLAYS A ROLE
GM power has also played a large role in Sebring history with the Chaparral - Chevy winning in 1965 and an Olds powered R & S Mk III tops in 1996. Many other sports racers and prototypes used Chevy, Olds, Buick and Cadillac power in an attempt win the tough race.

GENERAL MOTORS COMPETES GLOBALLY
General Motors is involved in motorsports all over the globe, from Indianapolis, Indiana, to Le Mans, France, and from Baja, Mexico, to Silverstone, England. GM's range of competition covers a 1,300 hp supercharged 500 cu. in. engine in drag racing to the new Chevy TrailBlazer's Vortec I-6 engine that won the Baja 500 (beating all the V-8s in the field), and the overall Pikes Peak International Hillclimb title. Globally, GM competes in:

• Endurance racing American Le Mans Series - Le Mans
• NASCAR Winston Cup, Busch and Craftsman Trucks
• NHRA drag racing
• Indy Racing League (IRL)
• Off-road truck racing
• German Touring Car (DTM)
• British and Australian Touring Car
• Formula 3
• Formula Holden (Asia)