Chevy Texas IRL Results: BELL RINGS UP ANOTHER TOP-10 FINISH FOR CHEVY

FORT WORTH, Texas, Oct. 17, 2004 - Townsend Bell was a midseason
addition to Chevrolet's IRL IndyCar Series roster, but since he joined
the Bowtie Brigade in July he's become a prolific Chevy racer. Bell was
the top Chevrolet-powered driver in today's season-ending Chevy 500 at
Texas Motor Speedway, bringing Panther Racing's Menards/Johns Manville
Chevrolet Dallara home in ninth place. It was the fifth time in 10
starts that Bell was first to the finish line for Chevy.

"It was a good, solid run," Bell said. "We played it smart all day and
stayed out of trouble. All in all, it was a good run, another top 10.

"I know that Chevy keeps digging, and I think they showed us some good
things on Tomas' car that are going to help," Bell noted. "It was a good
way to end the season with a solid result."

Three of the six Chevrolet drivers in the 21-car field were sidelined
before the checkered flag fell. Red Bull Cheever Racing teammates Alex
Barron and Ed Carpenter were involved in separate accidents, and Panther
Racing's Tomas Scheckter was eliminated by a mechanical problem. Barron
was collected when Dario Franchitti spun in front of him on lap 185; he
was transported to Harris Methodist Medical Center for evaluation of a
possible fractured right hand.

Scheckter's Chevy again provided the excitement in the first half of the
race. Relegated to the back of the grid after a chassis technical
infraction was found in post-qualifying inspection, Scheckter's Pennzoil
Chevrolet Dallara sliced through the field. He moved up five positions
from his 20th starting spot on the first lap. Taking his trademark high
line, Scheckter needed only 20 laps to break into the top 10; he was
fifth by lap 30 and third on lap 49. He was running fourth when the
mechanical malady struck on lap 105.

"It's a pity for everybody," said the South African. "I don't really
know what happened. We've got to take it back and have a look at it."

Panther Racing announced earlier today that Scheckter will drive for the
team in 2005.

"I'm happy that I've re-signed again with these guys," Scheckter said.
"I really get on with them, and hopefully we can get some better results
for our sponsors next year."

Felipe Giaffone closed out the season with an 11th-place finish for Team
Purex/Dreyer & Reinbold Racing. He celebrated the birth of his son in
Brazil just a few days ago.

"We had a decent car today, but I needed a big draft with everyone
spread out to create as much pull as possible," said Giaffone. "I was
flat-out all day, but at the end, it was fun. Everyone was fighting for
position with each other, and we were spread out enough so I could
draft."

Ed Carpenter ended his rookie season earlier than he had planned after a
single-car accident on the fourth lap.

"I was just trying to work my way forward, running the high groove,"
Carpenter reported. "The car felt really good. I had a lot of confidence
just running around the top. A car came across my nose, and I lost the
front end of my car and went straight into the wall. It's just the way
it happens."

The 2005 IndyCar Series season will begin at Homestead-Miami Speedway in
Homestead, Fla., on March 6, 2005.

RACE SUMMARY
Track: Texas Motor Speedway, 1.5-mile oval
Winner: Helio Castroneves, Penske Racing Toyota Dallara
Margin of Victory: 0.3732 seconds
Average Speed: 159.397 mph
Pole: Helio Castroneves/Toyota, 215.996 mph
Fastest Lap: Bryan Herta/Honda, 214.923 mph

RESULTS
Pos./Driver/Engine/Laps
1. Helio Castroneves/Toyota, 200
2. Tony Kanaan/Honda, 200
3. Dan Wheldon/Honda, 200
4. Vitor Meira/Honda, 200
5. Adrian Fernandez/Honda, 200

9. Townsend Bell/Chevrolet, 200
11. Felipe Giaffone/Chevrolet, 199
13. Tomas Enge/Chevrolet, 198
14. Alex Barron/Chevrolet, 185 (accident)
18. Tomas Scheckter/Chevrolet, 105 (mechanical)
21. Ed Carpenter/Chevrolet, 3 (accident)

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (Unofficial after 16 of 16 events)
Driver/Engine/Points (victories in parentheses)
1. Tony Kanaan/Honda, 618 (3)
2. Dan Wheldon/Honda, 533 (3)
3. Buddy Rice/Honda, 485(3)
4. Helio Castroneves/Toyota, 461 (1)
5. Adrian Fernandez/Honda, 445 (3)

Manufacturer/Points (victories in parentheses)
1. Honda, 154 (14)
2. Toyota, 124 (2)
3. Chevrolet, 84

NEXT EVENT
March 6, 2005, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Homestead, Fla., 1.5-mile oval
TV: TBA