Chevy 1-2 in Fontana IRL

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


Chevy 1-2 in Fontana Photo Finish

FONTANA, Calif., March 24, 2002 -- After 400 hard-fought miles,
Chevrolet drivers Sam Hornish Jr. and Jaques Lazier crossed the finish line
inches apart in the inaugural Yamaha Indy 400 at California Speedway. The
record-setting race saw the new Chevy Indy V8 post its third straight
victory in Indy Racing League competition.

    Hornish scored his second win of the young season in Pennzoil
Panther Racing's Chevrolet Dallara, edging Lazier's Team Menard Chevrolet
Dallara by .0281 seconds at the finish line. The IRL's first race in
southern California produced a record 39 official lead changes, and dozens
of unofficial lead changes around the 2.0-mile track. The event's 179.345
mph average speed was the fastest in the series' seven-year history.

    "From the beginning of the race, I knew that Jaques was going to give
me the most competition and he would be the hardest to pass because he had
a Chevrolet engine just like me," said Hornish. "It takes a lot of
horsepower to be able to go around someone on the outside, and that's how I
passed him. Speedway Engines and Chevrolet did an awesome job for us
today."

    Hornish led 73 of the 200 laps today, the most of any driver. He
increased his lead in the IRL championship to 26 points (141 to 115) over
Helio Castroneves, who finished fifth in Penske Racing's Chevrolet Dallara.

    "We are pleased that a Chevrolet engine powered Sam Hornish Jr.
and Panther Racing to victory in the inaugural IRL event at California
Speedway," said GM Racing Group Manager Joe Negri. "In many ways this was a
rehearsal for the Indianapolis 500, and this victory gives us confidence in
our equipment going into that important event.

    "Today's race was the longest run we've made in competition with the
new Chevy Indy V8 engine, although we completed more than 500 miles in
testing at this track with no reliability problems," Negri noted. "The
Chevrolet engine has demonstrated its power and durability, and that in
combination with great teams, talented drivers and excellent race strategy
will continue Chevrolet's winning streak."

    Lazier started second and finished second in Team Menard's Johns
Manville entry. The day was not without drama for the driver from nearby
Alta Loma, Calif., as he battled back to the front after losing radio
contact with his crew and running out of fuel. He held the inside line
tenaciously in the closing laps, forcing Hornish to go to the outside for
the winning pass in the final turn. The two cars touched wheel-to-wheel as
they raced to the stripe.

    "A second-place finish shows that Team Menard is back," Lazier
declared. "The team and Chevrolet gave me a tremendous car today. I could
go just about anywhere -- I could go high, I could go low. The Chevrolet
program is getting stronger and stronger and I think we're going to be a
threat from now on."

    With his fifth career victory, Hornish extended Panther
Racing's remarkable reliability record. The team's GM-powered entries have
now been running at the finish in 21 consecutive races.

    "Our crew has done an incredible job keeping a car underneath
our drivers," said team co-owner John Barnes. "That's a testament also
to Chevrolet, General Motors and Speedway Engines. I can't tell you how
much they have done for us. They always have the best product for us, and
it's always reliable."

    Chevrolet engines powered 22 of the 27 starters. Predictions of
heavy attrition proved to be incorrect as 22 cars were running at the
finish -- 20 of them powered by Chevrolet engines. The first 84 laps were
completed before the first yellow flag, and only 23 laps were run under
caution.

    After three races in four weeks, the IRL series will take a brief
break before the Firestone Indy 225 in Nazareth, Pa., on April 21.

RACE SUMMARY
Track: California Speedway, 2.0-mile oval
Winner: Sam Hornish Jr., Pennzoil Panther Racing Chevrolet Dallara
Margin of Victory: 0.0281 seconds
Average Speed: 179.345 mph
Pole: Eddie Cheever Jr./Infiniti, 221.422 mph
Fastest Lap: Tomas Scheckter/Infiniti, 222.559 mph

TOP FIVE FINISHERS
Pos./Driver/Engine/Laps
1. Sam Hornish Jr./Chevrolet, 200 laps
2. Jaques Lazier/Chevrolet, 200
3. Laurent Redon/Infiniti, 200
4. Gil de Ferran/Chevrolet, 200
5. Helio Castroneves/Chevrolet, 200

MANUFACTURER RESULTS
Laps Led: Chevrolet 139, Infiniti 61
Starters: Chevrolet 22, Infiniti 5
Running at Finish: Chevrolet 20, Infiniti 2

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (after 3 of 15 events)
Driver/Engine/Points (victories in parentheses)
1. Sam Hornish Jr./Chevrolet, 141 (2)
2. Helio Castroneves/Chevrolet, 115 (1)
3. Gil de Ferran/Chevrolet, 112
4. Jaques Lazier/Chevrolet, 80
5. Eliseo Salazar/Chevrolet, 77

Manufacturer/Points (victories in parentheses)
1. Chevrolet, 30 (3)
2. Infiniti, 21

NEXT EVENT
April 21, Firestone Indy 225, Nazareth Speedway, Nazareth, Pa.; 1-mile
oval, 225 laps
TV: ABC, 1 p.m. Eastern

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  E-mail from: Rick Voegelin, 24-Mar-2002