Bowtie Bullets for Phoenix IRL

Phoenix International Raceway
Round 2 of 16, Indy Racing League IndyCar Series
Sunday, March 23, 2003
 
* Chevy on a Roll
    Chevrolet shined last weekend in the Sunshine State as Corvette Racing
won the GTS class in the 12 Hours of Sebring and Chevy Cavaliers dominated
Pro Stock at the NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla. A trio of Chevy
drivers - Ron Fellows, Johnny O'Connell and Franck Freon - put the Corvette
C5-R in the winner's circle in the opening round of the American Le Mans
Series at the historic Sebring track. Kurt Johnson notched his 24th career
NHRA Pro Stock victory in his new 2003 ACDelco Cavalier at Gainesville
Raceway, defeating the Cavalier of reigning NHRA champion Jeg Coughlin Jr.
in the final round.

* GM Perfect in Phoenix
    GM engines have won every IRL race contested in Phoenix since the
series introduced its naturally aspirated engine formula in 1997.
Unheralded Jim Guthrie won at PIR in 1997, Scott Sharp won in 1998, Scott
Goodyear in 1999, Buddy Lazier in 2000 and Sam Hornish Jr. in 2001 with IRL
Aurora V8 engines. Helio Castroneves in 2002 with a Chevy Indy V8. Among
previous winners, Hornish (Pennzoil Panther Racing) and Lazier (Hemelgarn
Racing) are driving Chevrolet-powered Dallaras this weekend.

* Helio Sets Records
    Helio Castroneves got Chevy's IRL program off to a fast start last year
at Phoenix International Raceway. He put the new Chevy Indy V8 on the pole
with a record-setting run at 179.88 mph and led 62 laps on the 1-mile oval.
In 2001, Hornish won in his first appearance with Panther Racing, leading
140 of 200 laps.

* First in Phoenix
    Mario Andretti scored Chevrolet's first open-wheel victory at PIR on
April 10, 1988, with a Lola chassis powered by the first-generation Chevy
Indy V8, a turbocharged 2.65-liter engine. Other Chevy open-wheel winners
in Phoenix include Rick Mears (1989-90) Arie Luyendyk (1991) and Bobby
Rahal (1992).

* The Long Run
    Chevy has won a total of 100 Indy-style races to date.
The first-generation 2.65-liter turbocharged Chevy Indy V8 won 86 times
and claimed 80 poles in the PPG Indy Car World Series in 1987-93. Chevy
returned to open-wheel racing in 2002 with the 3.5-liter naturally
aspirated Chevy Indy V8 that won 14 out of 15 races and nine poles in IRL
competition.