DeFerran and Chevy Dominate IRL

FOUNTAIN, Colo., June 16, 2002 -- Gil de Ferran was on top of the world
today at mile-high Pikes Peak International Raceway after scoring his first
IRL victory in the Radisson Indy 225. De Ferran, known as "the Professor"
for his technical approach to racing, taught a textbook lesson in
short-track driving. He started on the pole, led 217 of 225 laps and
recorded the fastest lap of the race. He took the lead for good on lap 40
and led a Chevrolet sweep of the top six finishing positions, notching
Chevy's seventh straight IRL victory.

Penske Racing posted its second 1-2 finish of the season with
Helio Castroneves finishing as runner-up, 1.4385 seconds behind his
teammate in twin Chevrolet Dallaras. Sam Hornish Jr. was third in Pennzoil
Panther Racing's Chevrolet Dallara.

Mother Nature reigned on a stormy Father's Day in the foothills of the
Rocky Mountains. The race was red-flagged for 51 minutes when hailstones
pummeled PPIR, and showers extended several caution periods when the track
was too wet for safe racing. Sunshine alternated with ominous clouds and
shifting winds throughout the race.

"The car was absolutely perfect in the last three-quarters of the race,"
said de Ferran, who trimmed Castroneves' lead to 32 points (267-235) in
the championship chase. "Probably one of the best oval-track cars I have
ever driven.

"I was flat-out with no lift all the way around," he continued. "It was
such a hard pace. We had a great day -- the engine was faultless."

Castroneves continued his consistent performance, extending his string
of top-five finishes to seven straight races.

"The conditions were tough out there," Castroneves noted. "The track
changed quite a bit for my car. At the end I had a tremendous push, a lot
of understeer. We finally found a good way, but it was a little too late.
But finishing second is good -- first and second in the race, first and
second in the championship."

While de Ferran checked out, Castroneves and Hornish raced wheel-to-wheel.

"We had a fast race car and there were times when I could get a run on
Helio," said Hornish. "It didn't quite go our way, but after three bad
races, this is a good way to start getting back into our championship
mode."

The action was fast and furious as the leaders worked through traffic.
De Ferran had several close calls, splitting backmarkers and passing on
the inside and outside lines.

"I could drive on the top, on the bottom, and right underneath people,"
de Ferran recalled. "It was a pleasure to drive a car like that. On
ultimate speed I was very closely matched with Sam and Helio, but I had an
advantage whenever we hit traffic. I had to take a few chances, but
everything worked out great."

"Chevrolet had a dominant performance today and we expect to continue that
in future events," said GM Racing engineer Dick Amacher. "Our affiliated
engine builders successfully adapted to the challenge of racing at the high
altitude of Pikes Peak International Raceway, which affects the performance
of both the cars and engines.

"This was a great weekend for Chevrolet around the world, with Corvette
Racing finishing first and second in class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and
the Chevy Indy V8 scoring its seventh straight IRL victory," Amacher noted.
"Whenever Chevrolet goes into a racing program, our intention is to win,
not just to participate."

De Ferran's newfound mastery of short ovals will be put to the test when
IRL teams will take on the 3/4-mile bullring at Richmond International
Raceway in Richmond, Va., on June 29.

RACE SUMMARY
Track: Pikes Peak International Raceway, 1-mile oval
Winner: Gil de Ferran, Marlboro Team Penske Chevrolet Dallara
Margin of Victory: 1.4385 seconds
Average Speed: 121.465 mph
Pole: Gil de Ferran/Chevrolet, 177.998 mph
Fastest Lap: Felipe Giaffone/Chevrolet, 172.824 mph

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

MANUFACTURER RESULTS
Laps Led: Chevrolet 225, Infiniti 0
Starters: Chevrolet 18, Infiniti 5
Running at Finish: Chevrolet 14, Infiniti 3

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (after 7 of 15 events)
Driver/Engine/Points (victories in parentheses)
1. Helio Castroneves/Chevrolet, 267 (2)
2. Gil de Ferran/Chevrolet, 235 (1)
3. Sam Hornish Jr./Chevrolet, 206 (2)
4. Felipe Giaffone/Chevrolet, 202
5. Al Unser Jr./Chevrolet, 164

Manufacturer/Points (victories in parentheses)
1. Chevrolet, 70 (7)
2. Infiniti, 49

NEXT EVENT
June 29, SunTrust Indy Challenge, Richmond International Raceway,
Richmond, Va., .75-mile oval, 250 laps
TV: ESPN, 7:30 p.m. Eastern