Chevy Powers Gordon at Indy 500
CHEVY POWERS GORDON IN MEMORIAL DAY DOUBLE Robby Gordon to Compete in Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 with Chevrolet DETROIT, March 9, 2004 - Robby Gordon is aiming to make racing history on May 30 when he competes in the Indianapolis 500 and the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600. Chevrolet will power Gordon's quest to win two major motorsports events on the same day. Gordon announced today that he will attempt the Memorial Day "Double" for the fourth consecutive year. He will begin the day at Indianapolis Motor Speedway driving a Meijer-sponsored Dallara powered by a Chevy Indy V-8 engine. Gordon will then fly to Charlotte, N.C., where he will drive a Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet Monte Carlo in the Coca-Cola 600. "I definitely wanted to have Chevy power for my Meijer Dallara at Indy," said Gordon. "Everyone has seen how strong the Chevy Indy V-8 engine is running. I know our team will be competitive and we'll benefit from working with the GM Racing engineers. "This is a great opportunity for me to build on my relationship with Chevrolet beyond NASCAR," Gordon added. "May will be a busy month, but as a racer, I love the challenge. That's another reason I'm glad all my racing will be in a Chevy." Gordon's Chevrolet connections are strong. He scored three career Nextel Cup victories in Richard Childress Racing's Cingular Wireless Monte Carlos, including a sweep of the two road course events in 2003 in Sonoma, Calif., and Watkins Glen, N.Y. Gordon also drives his Fruit of the Loom Monte Carlo in the NASCAR Busch Series and a Chevrolet Silverado in the Trophy Truck division of the SCORE Off-Road Racing Series. Robby will return to his desert racing roots when he races his Chevy truck in Baja later this year. "Robby is one of the most versatile and exciting race car drivers in America, and we are proud that Chevrolet will provide the performance and dependability that he will need for 1,100 miles of hard racing on Memorial Day," said Doug Duchardt, director of GM Racing. "Chevrolet is the only manufacturer that competes in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600, so it's appropriate that Chevy powers the only racer who will drive in both events." The two Chevy engines that will propel Gordon on his 1,100-mile racing odyssey have a total of 16 cylinders, 48 valves, five camshafts, and more than 1,400 horsepower. A methanol-burning DOHC 3.0-liter (183-cubic-inch) Chevy Indy V-8 with electronic fuel injection will power the Robby Gordon Motorsports Meijer Dallara at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Richard Childress Racing Monte Carlo that he will drive at Lowe's Motor Speedway is propelled by a gasoline-burning 358-cubic-inch small-block V-8, a descendant of the legendary Chevrolet small-block that has won more races than any other production-based engine. Both engines were developed to meet the specific requirements of their respective series. The cars that Gordon will drive in Indy and Charlotte also are worlds apart. Constructed of carbon fiber and composite materials, Gordon's open-wheel IndyCar Series car weighs just 1,525 pounds. The steel-bodied, tube-framed Monte Carlo he drives in NASCAR Nextel Cup competition weighs more than twice as much, tipping the scales at 3,400 pounds. "Having a prominent NASCAR personality like Robby Gordon at this year's Indy 500 recalls the days when stock car drivers frequently made the annual pilgrimage to Indianapolis," Duchardt noted. "It also highlights the depth and breadth of Chevrolet's racing program, which also includes championship-winning teams in the ALMS road racing series and NHRA drag racing. This commitment to compete across the entire spectrum of major league motorsports is why Chevy is the most successful manufacturer in racing." With a pair of Chevrolets to power his dream, Robby Gordon is determined to make motorsports history on May 30. General Motors Corp. , the world's largest vehicle manufacturer, employs about 325,000 people globally. 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 192 countries. In 2003, GM sold nearly 8.6 million cars and trucks, about 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.