BMW WilliamsF1 Team-Montoya/J.Gordon- Switching Rides

Trading places: Juan Pablo Montoya and Jeff Gordon to drive NASCAR and F1
respectively at Indy


Could I borrow your car?


Imola (ITA), 18th April 2003. Some cars you just wouldn¹t lend to anybody. A
Formula One race car, for example, or a NASCAR. Or maybe you would? On 11th
June 2003, on the Wednesday before the Canadian Grand Prix, Juan Pablo
Montoya will be taking the Chevrolet of four-time NASCAR Winston Cup
Champion Jeff Gordon around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. At the same
time, Gordon will be getting behind the wheel of the WilliamsF1 BMW FW25 of
Formula One¹s Colombian star.

This unusual car swap is causing quite a stir on either side of the
Atlantic, both in the homeland of the BMW WilliamsF1 Team and among
America¹s NASCAR followers. That¹s because the laps the drivers are planning
to do on the 2.606-mile (4.2-kilometre) Grand Prix circuit of the legendary
US race track will be the first time either will have tried out the other¹s
breed of car. Fans will be admitted to this spectacle free of charge. At the
press conference to follow, the drivers will talk about their experiences.

Both racing drivers associate the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with special
victories and high aspirations. In 2000, Montoya (27) won the 500-mile race
on the world¹s most famous oval track and will be staging another attempt in
September 2003 to claim a historic double victory by winning the US Grand
Prix as well.

Jeff Gordon (31) has already taken three victories in the Brickyard 400 ­
one of the highlights of the NASCAR season. In August 2003 he will be
gunning for his fourth win. He hasn¹t yet covered a single mile of the GP
circuit, which only takes in part of the oval but includes a twisty infield
section, as well as running in the opposite direction.

"I¹m just excited about this opportunity. It¹s something I¹ve dreamed of,
just getting behind the wheel of an F1 car and seeing what it was like,"
said the Californian. "I don¹t plan on going F1 racing, but I would love to
just get that experience."

Juan Pablo Montoya is similarly delighted at the prospect of this novel
experience: "It will be very interesting for me, and driving a big, heavy
NASCAR will certainly be different to driving a Formula car. I will enjoy
the opportunity, and I don¹t think Jeff should be concerned that I will take
away his job."