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INDYCAR (INDIANAPOLIS) - NEWS AND NOTES (April 25, 2007)


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1. AAMCO Transmissions Teams With IndyCar Series For Pole Award

2. Unser joins Playa Del Racing for Freedom 100

1. AAMCO Transmissions Teams With IndyCar Series For Pole Award: AAMCO Transmissions will serve as the “Official Automotive Transmission Repair Company” of the IndyCar® Series, officials announced April 24. As part of the agreement, AAMCO will sponsor the Pole Award for every IndyCar Series event for the remainder of this season, including the Indianapolis 500. Beginning Saturday, April 28 at Kansas Speedway, the AAMCO Transmissions Pole Award will be presented to the series’ top qualifier along with a check for $10,000. The award increases to $100,000 for the polesitter at the Indianapolis 500. To be eligible for the AAMCO Transmissions Pole Award, cars must carry the AAMCO contingency decal. “We are excited to partner with the IndyCar Series this season to present the AAMCO Transmissions Pole Award as well as have a presence at the Indianapolis 500, one of the greatest sporting events in the world,” said Todd Leff, chief executive officer, AAMCO. “This is part of our most comprehensive and integrated sports marketing campaign to date. Our partnership with the IndyCar Series will serve as a great platform to motivate and reward AAMCO center owners and employees.” Pole Day for the 91st Indianapolis 500 is scheduled for Saturday, May 12. “We’re thrilled to welcome AAMCO to the Indianapolis 500,” said Joie Chitwood, president and chief operating officer of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “AAMCO is an enthusiastic partner of IMS, and on behalf of our Indy 500 teams and drivers, we appreciate the support of the Pole Award. The worldwide appeal of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” will help AAMCO expose its great service and people to an even wider audience.” During each race weekend, AAMCO will play host to local dealers at the track with a select dealer presenting the Pole Award following the completion of qualifying. Additionally, AAMCO is planning internal promotions for race tickets, autographed merchandise and more. In-store point-of-sale materials and promotions in support of the IndyCar Series sponsorship will be made available to all AAMCO dealers to execute in their retail location this season. “We are pleased to welcome AAMCO to the IndyCar Series family,” said Terry Angstadt, president of the commercial division for the Indy Racing League, the sanctioning body of the IndyCar Series. “There are so many similar brand attributes between the IndyCar Series and AAMCO, including speed and quality performance, that make this partnership a great fit.” AAMCO recently announced plans to serve as the co-primary sponsor for the No. 5 Honda-powered Dallara driven by Sarah Fisher for Dreyer and Reinbold Racing. Fisher will be featured in a new television, radio, Internet and print advertising campaign educating consumers about symptoms of car or transmission problems, themed “Don’t Worry. I Gotta Guy - AAMCO.” The campaign, which is targeted toward women and a younger demographic, is scheduled to launch in May. Said Mike Ganjei, Chairman of AAMCO’s National Creative Committee, “AAMCO dealers will have the opportunity to implement exciting consumer promotions surrounding our sponsorship of the IndyCar series and Sarah Fisher. It gives dealers a great platform to highlight AAMCO’s expansion into the complete car care business.” “I'm really excited to see the AAMCO sponsorship expand to also encompass the Pole Award,” Fisher said. “AAMCO is very big-picture oriented, and venturing into other elements of our series is smart.”

2. Unser joins Playa Del Racing for Freedom 100: Al Unser III hopes to etch the Unser name further into Indianapolis lore. The 25-year-old grandson of four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Al Unser and son of two-time “500” champ Al Unser Jr., will compete in the Indy Pro Series Freedom 100 at the famed 2.5-mile oval on May 25. Unser III, who will drive the No. 12 Playa Del Racing entry, will prepare for the 40-lap race at an Open Test at the Speedway on April 27. “This is going to be a great opportunity for myself and the Playa Del Racing organization,” Unser said. “I’m really familiar with these cars, and my family has had a great relationship with this team. I think this could be a great partnership in the future.” Unser made 12 Indy Pro Series starts in 2004-05, recording eight top-five finishes and one pole position. Among those was a fourth-place finish at Indianapolis in 2005, which was his last start in the series. “We are very excited to have the chance to work with the son of one of our oldest friends here at PDR,” team co-owner Susan Schafer said. “We all know that this kid can drive, and there’s no better place to put him on the track than the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.” The Freedom 100 is the fourth of 16 races on the Indy Pro Series schedule. The series also will compete on the road course at Indianapolis on June 16-17. *** The 2007 IndyCar Series season continues with the Kansas Lottery Indy 300 at 4:30 p.m. (ET) on April 29. The race will be telecast live by ESPN2 and broadcast by the IMS Radio Network. A Spanish-language telecast of the race will be carried by ESPN Deportes. The IMS Radio Network broadcast also is carried on XM Satellite Radio and www.indycar.com. The sixth season of Indy Pro Series competition continues with the Freedom 100 on May 25 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The race will be telecast as part of ESPN2’s coverage of Carb Day at 4 p.m. on May 25.