Team Mitsubishi Motor Sport USA Reveals Team Line Up for 2003 SCCA ProRally Manufacturers Championship

    CYPRESS, Calif., Jan. 17 Mitsubishi Motors North America,
Inc. (MMNA) has dramatically increased their involvement in the Sports Car
Club of America's SCCA ProRally Championship to showcase two Open Class Lancer
Evolution rally car entries for 2003.  The new factory backed team, Team
Mitsubishi Motor Sport America, was announced at the 2003 L.A. Auto show
during the World debut of the highly anticipated new 2003 Lancer Evolution
high-performance sports sedan.  The new team will have the full support of
Mitsubishi Motor's performance arm Ralliart and will be contesting all nine
rounds of the 2003 SCCA ProRally Championship.
    "The Lancer Evolution represents the essence of the Mitsubishi brand and,
in its street legal form, has the highest thrill for dollar ratio on the
planet," says Pierre Gagnon, MMNA chairman and chief executive officer.  "With
the Lancer Evolution's incredible performance and uncompromising pedigree as a
champion racer on the World Rally circuit, it was natural for Mitsubishi's to
choose the SCCA ProRally Championship to showcase our company's passion for
competition and engineering excellence to North American enthusiasts."
    Mitsubishi has selected two champions to each pilot an all-new HKS tuned
and Michelin shod Open Class Lancer Evolution rally car.  Rising star David
Higgins will lead the team with his co-driver Daniel Barritt.  Higgins'
talents were affirmed last season when he won both the SCCA ProRally and
British Group N Championships.  American Lauchlin O'Sullivan will drive the
second Evolution with veteran co-driver Mark Williams at his side.  O'Sullivan
firmly put his name on the map by winning the 2002 SCCA ProRally two wheel
drive (Group 2) Driver's Championship in a nearly stock, front wheel drive,
Mitsubishi Lancer OZ Rally Edition.
    Experienced rally racing firm Vermont SportsCar will provide technical,
logistical, and team management support for the Mitsubishi team, and all team
operations will be based out of Vermont SportsCar's headquarters in
Colchester, Vermont.  Heading up the management effort as Team Director will
be veteran rally car builder and President of Vermont SportsCar, Lance Smith.
Accomplished WRC level team manager and former co-driver John Kennard will act
as Team Manager.
    Team Mitsubishi Motor Sport America will debut at the season-opening
SnoDrift Rally near Atlanta, MI, January 24-25.  After SnoDrift, the team will
contest the Rim of the World ProRally on May 2-3, and then on to Wellsboro,
Pennsylvania, for the Susquehannock Trail Rally, June 7, followed by the
Pike's Peak International Hillclimb, June 26-28.

    Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is responsible for all of the
North American operations of Mitsubishi Motors Corporation.  As a single
company consolidated on January 1, 2003, MMNA and its subsidiaries
manufacture, distribute, finance, and market Mitsubishi brand coupes,
convertibles, sedans and sport utility vehicles through a network of nearly
700 dealers in the United States.  Mitsubishi Motors sold its first vehicle in
the U.S. in 1981 and began building cars here in 1988 at its manufacturing
facility in Normal, IL.  For more information call the Mitsubishi Motors News
Bureau at 888-560-6672, or please visit the Web sites at
http://media.mitsubishicars.com .