Chevy to Race New IRL Engine in Kentucky

Bowtie Bullet Points: Chevrolet Notes for the IRL Belterra Casino Indy 300

Kentucky Speedway
Round 12 of 16, Indy Racing League IndyCar Series
Sunday, Aug. 17, 2 p.m. EDT 

* Chevrolet Teams to Race Gen IV Chevy Indy V8 in Kentucky

    Kentucky is famous for horsepower of the four-legged variety, but
the focus at this weekend's IRL Belterra Casino Indy 300 at Kentucky
Speedway will be on the horsepower of the new Gen IV Chevy Indy V8. Just
four weeks after the IRL's approval of the Gen IV engine on July 19, all
six Chevrolet drivers in the IndyCar Series will race with the new
powerplant for the first time. The roster of Gen IV Chevy racers will
include Sam Hornish Jr. (Panther Racing), Buddy Rice (Red Bull Cheever
Racing), Vitor Meira (Team Menard), Buddy Lazier (Hemelgarn Racing), Robbie
Buhl (Dreyer & Reinbold Racing), and Sarah Fisher (Dreyer & Reinbold
Racing).

    The Kentucky event is the final step in the phased introduction of the
Gen IV Chevy Indy V8 prescribed by the series. Following successful tests
of the new engine package under racing conditions by Panther Racing at
Michigan International Speedway (July 27) and Red Bull Cheever Racing at
Gateway International (Aug. 10), all Chevrolet teams are now eligible to
use the new engine.

    "The race at Kentucky Speedway will be a significant milestone in
the evolution of Chevrolet's IRL program," said GM Racing IRL program
manager Joe Negri. "The conversion to the Gen IV Chevy Indy V8 has been
very smooth, thanks to the exceptional efforts of our teams and suppliers.

    "We still have a long road to travel during the development of this
new engine specification, and there will certainly be some unexpected bumps
along the way," Negri noted. "With six engines on the track this weekend,
we can accelerate our learning and continue to build a strong foundation
for Chevy's IRL program in 2004 and 2005."

* Changing Horses

    While IndyCar teams routinely change engines in less than an hour
during a race weekend, the conversion from the Gen III Chevy Indy V8 to the
Gen IV version is much more complex. Although the Gen III and Gen IV
engines share the same general specifications - 3.5-liter displacement,
eight cylinders, dual overhead cams and electronic fuel injection - they
have no parts in common. Kevin Bayless, GM Racing's chassis and
aerodynamics specialist, is assisting Chevrolet teams as they make the
transition to the new powerplant.

    "The IRL rules require that all engines use the same attachment points,
so the Gen IV block bolts to the tub and the bellhousing just like the Gen
III engine - but that's where the similarities end," Bayless explained.
"Virtually every component on the car that interfaces with the engine must
be changed in the Gen III to Gen IV conversion.

    "All of the engine support systems - the cooling system, the
lubrication system, the exhaust system, the electronic engine management
system, the airbox, the clutch, the throttle cable, the bellhousing and the
gearbox input shaft - have to be replaced or modified. Forty major chassis
components have significant changes."

    GM Racing and Chevrolet teams operated on a tight timetable to have
the cars ready for the Kentucky race. Several teams were able to get a head
start by converting their spare cars; others had to make the conversion
after last Sunday's race at Gateway International Raceway.

    "The Panther Racing team did an outstanding job when they converted
the first test car," Bayless said. "Based on their feedback, we modified
the prototype parts and used them as patterns for the production run of
parts. The experience we gained with each successive conversion meant that
the process became progressively faster and easier.

    "All of our suppliers made a monumental effort to get parts to us
as quickly as possible," he noted. "I think that Sam Hornish's performance
at Michigan got everyone's enthusiasm up - not only the Chevy teams, but
also the vendors as well."

* Racing Around

    Chevrolet continued its winning ways in NASCAR Winston Cup
competition last weekend as Robby Gordon won the Sirius 400 at the Glen in
his Richard Childress Racing Monte Carlo. Chevy took four of the top five
finishing positions, and leads the NASCAR manufacturer's championship
standings.

    Chevrolets will be racing in four major motorsports series this
weekend: IRL at Kentucky Speedway, NASCAR at Michigan International
Speedway, NHRA at Brainerd (Minn.) International Raceway and the American
Le Mans Series at Mosport in Bowmanville, Ont. 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.