Bosch Confident of Continuing Winning Tradition at Indy 500

Vehicles Equipped with Bosch Spark Plugs Have Won 25 Indy 500 Races, Including Inaugural Race In 1911

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich., May 26 -- All 33 Honda powered cars that take the green flag at the 90th Indianapolis 500 race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Memorial Day will be equipped with Bosch spark plugs. Bosch, the company responsible for making the spark plug of choice for 25 Indy 500 winners, including a streak of 18 wins from 1987-2004 is assured of yet another win at this year's "Greatest Spectacle in Racing."

The powerful Bosch driver roster in 2006 comprises two-time Indy 500 winners Al Unser Jr. and Helio Castroneveees along with other past 500 winners including Buddy Rice, Buddy Lazier, Eddie Cheever Jr. and Dan Wheldon, Danica Patrick, the first woman driver to lead the Indy 500 will return to the Brickyard as will this years pole sitter Sam Hornish, Jr Filling out the field are father and son Michael Andretti and Marco Andretti, along with other exciting racers including Scott Dixon, Victor Meira, Scott Sharp, Tomas Scheckter, Ed Carpenter, and Dario Franchitti.

Spark plugs are vitally important in determining the performance and smooth functioning of the engine. Bosch's state-of-the-art R&D centers use racetracks around the world as testing grounds to continually innovate and enhance the performance and quality of spark plugs in the world's most sophisticated racing engines. Having been put through the most rigorous performance and durability tests, the development work undergone for race applications is transferred for street applications to provide the very best spark plug performance technology for production cars and the motoring public.

Since manufacturing its first spark plug in 1902, the company has been dedicated to producing the best performing spark plug in the most sophisticated manufacturing facilities in the world. Bosch spark plugs meet or exceed Original Equipment requirements of all vehicle and engine manufacturers making Bosch one of the best selling spark plugs in the world.

Additional information on Bosch Spark Plugs can be accessed at: http://www.boschusa.com/AutoParts/SparkPlugs/. Information on Bosch's involvement with motorsports is available at: http://www.boschusa.com/Motorsports/

A History of Sparks

Since it developed and patented the first high voltage magneto spark plug in 1902, Bosch has produced more than eight billion spark plugs, making important innovations along the way including:

  * Creation of the concept 'heat range' in 1927 - now today's standard
    measure of thermal capacity
  * Introduction of spark plugs with dual-material center electrode in
    1953 - for a more reliable cold start and longer service life.
  * First mass production of Thermoelastic plug with composite center
    electrode in 1976
  * Introduction of platinum spark plug technology in 1983 - featuring a
    pure platinum center electrode, heat fused into a an extended ceramic
    insulator. (The Bosch Platinum Plug for the North American market was
    introduced in 1985)
  * Creation in 1991 of surface/air gap spark plug technology that increases
    the electrode gap for better ignition thus preventing fouling and
    misfiring
  * Nickel Yttrium electrodes introduced into Bosch plugs in 1995
  * 1988, Bosch introduces the Platinum +4 spark plug for the North American
    market. With four yttrium enhanced electrodes, surface air gap
    technology, an a platinum center electrode, Bosch Platinum +4 provides
    the most powerful spark.
  * 2001, Bosch introduces the Platinum+2 spark to the North American
    market.

The Bosch Group is a leading global manufacturer of automotive and industrial technology, consumer goods, and building technology. In fiscal 2005, some 251,000 associates generated sales of 41.5 billion euros. Set up in Stuttgart in 1886 by Robert Bosch (1861-1942) as "Workshop for Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering," the Bosch Group today comprises a manufacturing, sales, and after-sales service network of more than 280 subsidiaries and more than 12,000 Bosch service centers in over 140 countries.

In North America, the Bosch Group manufactures and markets automotive original equipment and aftermarket products, industrial automation and mobile products, power tools and accessories, security technology, thermo-technology, packaging equipment and household appliances. Bosch employs 22,700 associates in more than 80 primary and 20 associated facilities throughout the region with reported sales of $8.4 billion in 2005. This year marks Bosch's 100th year of operating in the U.S. For more information on the company and the Centennial, visit http://www.bosch.us/.