Sharp Leads Chevy 1-2-3 Sweep: IRL

NAZARETH, Pa., April 21, 2002 -- Scott Sharp's prayers were answered when
race leader Gil de Ferran ran out fuel two turns from the finish line at
today's inaugural Firestone Indy 225 at Nazareth Speedway. Sharp passed de
Ferran and scored his seventh career IRL victory, leading a Chevy 1-2-3
sweep in the first Indy Racing League event on the tough 1-mile oval.

    "I've got to thank the man above," exclaimed Sharp. "I just kept
the hammer down because it's so hard to pass here. All of a sudden Gil ran
out and I gassed it."

    On a bitterly cold and overcast day in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley,
Sharp edged runner-up Felipe Giaffone by .4969 seconds, while de Ferran
coasted across the line to finish third. Penske Racing's gamble on fuel
strategy nearly paid off as the 35-gallon tank in de Ferran's Marlboro
Dallara finally ran dry after his Chevy Indy V8 completed 130 laps without
a pit stop. Running on a different pit strategy, Sharp had plenty of
methanol in Kelley Racing's Delphi Chevrolet Dallara and pushed de Ferran
hard in the closing laps.

    "In the last few laps, it was tough to pass Gil," said Sharp after
scoring Chevrolet's fourth straight victory. "I'd get a run on him and the
front end would wash out. I saw him lift in the corners to save fuel, so I
knew he had to be close. When I saw the white flag, I figured that was it.
I kept the hammer down, he slowed in Turn 2, and I jerked the car to the
right. I slammed fifth gear and stood on it. I think I would have crashed
before I lost the race."

    Sharp ran 98 circuits on his final fuel load after his last stop on
lap 127. The 98.798 mph average speed for the 225-lap race was slowed by
seven caution periods. The Corvette pace car led the most laps as 116
circuits were run under the yellow flag due to four accidents and moisture
on the track.

    "It was the right call," said de Ferran of Penske's gamble. "The
sky looked dark and the race could have been called at any moment. With
that situation, you've got to stretch it as long as you can. We were very,
very close to getting it right. We had a great car all day, very fast.
I'm disappointed not to have won, but overall I'm happy with the day."

    De Ferran and his Penske Racing teammate Helio Castroneves, who led
51 laps and finished fifth, had a much better day than IRL points leader
Sam Hornish Jr. On the 38th lap, Hornish made hard contact with Buddy
Lazier in Turn 3; Lazier was out of the race, and the Panther Racing team
had to replace the damaged front suspension on Hornish's Chevrolet Dallara.
Sam finished 49 laps behind the winner, but maintained a five-point lead
(154-149) over de Ferran in the championship standings. The Panther team's
pit work extended Hornish's streak of consecutive finishes to 17 straight
races.

    Chevrolet engines powered 18 of the 23 starters and 13 of the
17 finishers. Chevy engines prepared by Ilmor Engineering of Plymouth,
Mich., first, second, third and fifth.

    "Ilmor has been doing a great job with the IRL engines," said de
Ferran, who led a total of 86 laps. "Their engine is typically very
reliable and very powerful. This track is not really a horsepower track,
but I think we had a good engine today."

    The Firestone Indy 225 was the final rehearsal for the Indianapolis
500. Practice for the 500-mile classic begins on May 5.

    "Today's victory marked another significant step in the development of
the new Chevy Indy V8 engine," said Glenn Tayler, GM Racing IRL marketing
manager. "The first three races of the season demonstrated the performance
and reliability of Chevrolet engines, and today's event showed the
package's exceptional fuel efficiency.

    "Chevrolet is continuing its winning tradition in open-wheel
competition with four straight victories since our return to Indy car
racing," Tayler added. "We congratulate Kelley Racing and Scott Sharp on
their performance. A 1-2-3 finish for the Chevy Indy V8 boosts Chevy's
momentum as we prepare for the Indianapolis 500, the crown jewel of the
Indy Racing League series."

    Jaques Lazier, runner-up at the preceding race in Fontana, Calif.,
was involved in an accident with Tomas Scheckter on lap 122. Both drivers
were reported to be awake and alert, and were airlifted to Lehigh Valley
Hospital for tests and evaluation. No other drivers were injured in the
seven accidents.

    IRL teams will take a one-week break before starting preparations for
the 86th running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 26.

RACE SUMMARY
Track: Nazareth Speedway, 1-mile oval
Winner: Scott Sharp, Kelley Racing Delphi Chevrolet Dallara
Margin of Victory: 0.4969 seconds
Average Speed: 93.789 mph
Pole: Gil de Ferran/Chevrolet, 172.778 mph
Fastest Lap: Tomas Scheckter/Infiniti, 167.202 mph

TOP FIVE FINISHERS
Pos./Driver/Engine/Laps
1. Scott Sharp/Chevrolet, 225 laps
2. Felipe Giaffone/Chevrolet, 225
3. Gil de Ferran/Chevrolet, 225
4. Sarah Fisher/Infiniti, 225
5. Helio Castroneves/Chevrolet, 225

MANUFACTURER RESULTS
Laps Led: Chevrolet 225, Infiniti 0
Starters: Chevrolet 19, Infiniti 5
Running at Finish: Chevrolet 13, Infiniti 4

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (after 4 of 15 events)
Driver/Engine/Points (victories in parentheses)
1. Sam Hornish Jr./Chevrolet, 154 (2)
2. Gil de Ferran/Chevrolet, 149
3. Helio Castroneves/Chevrolet, 145 (1)
4. Felipe Giaffone/Chevrolet, 105
5. Scott Sharp/Chevrolet, 98 (1)

Manufacturer/Points (victories in parentheses)
1. Chevrolet, 40 (4)
2. Infiniti, 28

NEXT EVENT
May 26, Indianapolis 500, Indianapolis; 2.5-mile oval, 200 laps
TV: ABC, 12 noon EDT