Stratasys and Joe Gibbs Racing Partnership Leads to Recent NASCAR Winning Streak

MINNEAPOLIS--Aug. 1, 20058, 2005--

FDM Rapid Prototyping Gives Race Team Competitive Edge

Stratasys has entered a three-year partnership with NASCAR's Joe Gibbs Racing team (JGR), which is helping fuel a winning streak for driver Tony Stewart.

"Since using Stratasys FDM rapid prototyping, Tony has won five races," says JGR technical director Mark Bringle. "FDM gives us a competitive edge that's enabling these wins. It helps accelerate the redesign and testing of components, and that has proven to be a great asset."

The partnership will span the 2005 -- 2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Racing Seasons. During this time, JGR will use the Stratasys fused deposition modeling (FDM(R)) Titan rapid prototyping equipment in its R&D area with the goal of improving race performance among its three NASCAR NEXTEL Cup teams. Stratasys stands to gain empirical data to prove out FDM's value to the lucrative racing industry.

JGR chose FDM because it can quickly deliver durable prototype parts for evaluation and testing. JGR also likes FDM because it isn't complex like some other popular rapid prototyping processes that entail multiple steps and use vats of chemicals to form parts.

The FDM Titan allows the use of high-temperature, high-performance engineering thermoplastics. Like all Stratasys FDM rapid prototyping systems, the Titan requires no special facilities or venting and involves no nuisance, dangerous, or hazardous materials or by-products.

Stratasys Inc, Minneapolis, installed 36 percent of all rapid prototyping systems sold worldwide in 2004, the highest percentage of any manufacturer, according to Wohlers Report 2005. The company patented the rapid prototyping process known as fused deposition modeling (FDM(R)). The process creates solid models directly from a 3D CAD program using ABS plastic, polycarbonate, PPSF or other materials. Stratasys manufactures rapid prototyping systems for use by OEMs such as aerospace, automotive, defense, medical, and consumer product makers. These rapid prototyping systems are also used for rapid production and rapid tooling applications.

Joe Gibbs Racing, Huntersville, N.C, is a premier NASCAR organization, currently fielding three NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series teams for drivers Bobby Labonte, Tony Stewart and Terry Labonte, two NASCAR Busch Series teams for drivers J.J. Yeley and Denny Hamlin and two NASCAR Weekly Racing Series teams for drivers Aric Almirola and Chris Bristol. The organization is owned by Joe Gibbs - a three-time Super Bowl-winning coach, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and current coach of the Washington Redskins - the team has competed in NASCAR since 1992, winning two Cup Series championships and over 40 NASCAR races, including the 1993 Daytona 500 and the 2000 and 2005 Brickyard 400.