New Chevy Indy V8 to Debut at MIS

Bowtie Bullet Points: Chevrolet Notes for the Firestone Indy 400

Michigan International Speedway
Round 10 of 16, Indy Racing League IndyCar Series
Sunday, July 27, 2003 

* Gen IV Chevy Indy V8 to Debut at MIS
    Following the Indy Racing League's approval of the new Gen IV Chevy
Indy V8 on July 19, driver Sam Hornish Jr. and Pennzoil Panther Racing, the
leading Chevrolet team in the entrant points standings, will test the new
powerplant in Sunday's Firestone Indy 400 at Michigan International
Speedway. In accordance with the guidelines announced by Brian Barnhart,
senior vice president of racing operations for the IRL, the second highest
Chevrolet team in the entrant points standings at the conclusion of the
Michigan race will test the Gen IV engine in the Emerson Indy 250 on Aug.
10 at Gateway International Raceway near St. Louis. The Panther Racing team
will revert to the previous Gen III version at GIR.

    "The Firestone Indy 400 will be the first test of the Gen IV Chevy Indy
V8 under actual race conditions," said Joe Negri, GM Racing IRL program
manager. "This program has come together very quickly, and the Gen IV Chevy
Indy V8 is still in the early stages of development. While we have great
confidence in the engine and we look forward to a performance improvement
in the future, we will be in a testing mode at MIS. We have realistic
expectations about the first race with a brand-new design. Our primary
goals are to accumulate racing miles and to gain experience with the new
engine package. If the Panther Racing entry performs well and produces a
good result, that would be a bonus.

    "The Gen IV engine has less than 1,000 miles of track testing to date,
so we are still learning about its performance and durability," Negri
continued. "The IRL's decision to allow us to test the engine at two tracks
will give us an opportunity to work through any reliability issues before
converting all of the Chevrolet teams to Gen IV engines for the race at
Kentucky Speedway on Aug. 17.

    "The 2-mile Michigan oval is one of the most punishing tracks on the
IRL circuit in terms of the engine's duty cycle," Negri noted. "While we
can simulate the loads in a dyno cell, there is no substitute for running
an engine flat-out on a high-banked oval. The test at MIS that will give us
the real-world experience that we need to continue the engine's
development."

* Firestone Chevy Sweepstakes Winners to Be Decided at MIS
    Five finalists will find out if they hold the right key for starting
and thereby winning either a 2003 Chevrolet Malibu or 2003 Chevrolet
Silverado as the Firehawk Indy 500/Chevrolet Race 2 Win Sweepstakes
concludes on Sunday at Michigan International Speedway.

    The five finalists were randomly chosen from more than 300,000
entries submitted through Firestone retail locations across the United
States and via the Firestone web site during May and June. The lucky
winners will be identified during pre-race activities for the Firestone
Indy 400 race.

    The finalists competing in the Firehawk Indy 500/Chevrolet Race 2
Win Sweepstakes are: Kim Heise, Parker, Colo.; Clara Farmer, Houston,
Texas; Jason Newberry, West Palm Beach, Fla.; Robin Cook, Oakland, Calif.;
and Craig McDaniel, Tulsa, Okla.

    "Chevy has been making race day memories for fans for generations, and
we are excited to be part of a promotion this weekend which will provide
a lifelong memory for two lucky people," said John Hughes, Chevrolet
marketing manager. "Racing is a key platform for Chevrolet to reach
discerning customers targeting quality, performance, and reliability and
durability. Partnering with a world-class automotive supplier like
Firestone has made this an effective and successful promotion in leveraging
Chevy's dominant racing heritage and winning lineup of production
vehicles."

    "This was a tremendous cross-promotional effort by our company in
tandem with the Indy Racing League, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and
Chevrolet," said Phil Pacsi, executive director, N.A. Consumer Tire Brand
Marketing, Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire, LLC. "The combined
effort by all of these companies, with the history and involvement in Indy,
continues to build upon the legacy of the famous race and our entry-level
performance tire the Firestone Firehawk Indy 500."

* Racing Around
    Chevrolet achieved another motorsports milestone last Sunday when
Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Lowe's Monte Carlo, won the New
England 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway, scoring Chevrolet's
400th victory of the modern era (1972-present) in NASCAR Winston Cup
competition.

    Chevrolet's 400th victory continued the winning tradition that began
with Bobby Allison's win at Atlanta International Raceway on March 26,
1972. As the most successful nameplate in professional stock car racing
since 1972, Chevrolet has carried more drivers to Winston Cup championships
than any other manufacturer and Monte Carlo has won more NASCAR races than
any car in history.

    "This win is very special because of all the opportunities Chevrolet
has given me in the many forms of racing I've been in," said Johnson. "To
win a landmark event like this for them really means a lot to me."

    Chevrolet drivers are racing in four major motorsports series
this weekend: the IRL Firestone Indy 400, the Pennsylvania 500 NASCAR
Winston Cup race in Long Pond, Pa., the NHRA Carquest Auto Parts Nationals
in Seattle, and the American Le Mans Series Infineon Grand Prix of Sonoma.
Chevrolet is the only manufacturer currently competing in the IRL, NASCAR
Winston Cup, NHRA and American Le Mans Series

* About GM
    General Motors Corp. , the world's largest vehicle
manufacturer, employs 342,000 people globally in its core automotive
business and subsidiaries. Founded in 1908, GM has been the global
automotive sales leader since 1931. GM today has manufacturing operations
in 32 countries and its vehicles are sold in more than 190 countries. In
2002, GM sold more than 8.6 million cars and trucks, nearly 15 percent of
the global vehicle market. GM's global headquarters is at the GM
Renaissance Center in Detroit. More information on GM and its products can
be found on the company's consumer website at www.gm.com.