Key Motorsports Leaders Convene for First Time Ever at SAE Conference

WARRENDALE, Pa., Sept. 10 -- Key leaders of the automotive racing world will share the stage for the first time ever at the 2004 Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Motorsports Engineering Conference & Exhibition. The conference takes place on Nov. 30, 2004 - Dec. 2, 2004 at the Hyatt Regency in Dearborn, Mich.

Developed around the conference theme, "Change for Relevance," opening remarks by conference honorary general chair Herb Fishel, CEO, The Business of Motorsports; the keynote address by Max Mosley, President of the FIA; the executive Business Panel; and other executive sessions will examine the many key challenges facing racers, track owners, and sanctioning bodies, including providing exciting racing and competitive fields, controlling the high cost of racing, and assuring the safety of drivers, crew, and spectators. The scheduled business panel brings together for the first time the heads of the leading sanctioning bodies: Max Mosley, FIA; Mike Helton, NASCAR; Tony George, Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Indy Racing League; Tom Compton, National Hotrod Association (NHRA); and Steve Johnson, Sports Car Club of America (SCCA). Paul Pfanner, president of RACER Magazine, will serve as the panel moderator. Other panels will cover safety, racing engine and drivetrain, and vehicle design and development. A special event for young engineers interested in a career in racing is the Young Engineers Panel, during which professionals will talk about the skills needed to work in racing and the best opportunities to find these sought-after jobs.

For the first time, the conference will take an in-depth look at the extreme sports of Motocross and Snocross in two sessions scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 1. Another highlight of Wednesday will be the SAE Motorsports Engineering Conference Banquet, featuring Neil Ressler, former head of Jaguar Racing and Vice President of Ford Motor Company. Rounding out the event is an extensive program of technical sessions covering all aspects of racing from aerodynamics to engines, and an exhibit of many new products and services for race teams, plus racing vehicles of interest to all attendees.

Speaking at the conference and receiving special awards or recognition are: Ross Brawn, Technical Director, Scuderia Ferrari, SAE Motorsports Engineering Achievement Award; Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich, Director, AudiSport, SEMA Award; Doug Louth, Corvette Team Manager, Pratt & Miller, SAE Motorsports Engineering Conference Award; and Dr. Marcus Krug, Head of Electrics/Electronics, Sports and Touring Cars, BMW Motorsports, Special Certificate of Merit for the Design of Adaptive Controls for Alex Zanardi's Racing Sedan.

Motorsports engineers and enthusiasts alike are encouraged to attend. For more information on the event or how to register, visit the SAE Web site at http://www.sae.org/msec .

SAE is a non-profit engineering and scientific organization dedicated to the advancement of mobility technology to better serve humanity. Nearly 84,000 engineers and scientists who are SAE members develop technical information on all forms of self-propelled vehicles, including automobiles, aircraft, aerospace craft, trucks, buses, marine, rail and transit machinery. This information is disseminated through SAE meetings, books, electronic products and databases, technical papers, standards, reports, and professional development programs.