TEAM REPORTS (PALMETTO, FLA.) - Andersen Racing to Field Van Diemen for Baker In F2000 Championship Series

Britain’s Jonny Baker is back on board for his second season of racing in America, as Andersen Racing announced today that it will field a Van Diemen for him in the F2000 Championship Series presented by Hoosier Racing Tire.

Baker, 23, of Farnham Common, Buckinghamshire, drove for the team in Star Mazda competition last year. His best finish was a fourth place when that series slipped above the border to race at Mosport International Raceway in Bowmanville, Ontario.

Before coming to America Baker placed ninth in the 2006 UK Formula Ford Championship with two podium finishes. He finished second in the 2005 UK Formula Ford Scholarship Cup with four victories, placing fifth overall in the national class. He finished second in Class B of the British Racing Drivers' Club Single-Seater Championship in 2004 with four victories.

“I think F2000 is without doubt the best option I can take at this stage of my career, and as a result I am very excited about it,” Baker said. “Staying within the Andersen family was important to me. Having spoken to Dan [Andersen, the team co-owner] during the winter on numerous occasions, the synergy throughout the entire Andersen Racing organization is extremely exciting, and it will be unbelievably beneficial for a driver. “It is going to be a tough year, as there will be a lot of good drivers battling at the front,” Baker added. “However, I am confident that I will be competitive, as I will have a strong team supporting me. I will simply put my head down and put in the hard work in every department.

“Dan has shown a lot of faith in me over the past 12 months, and it is time to repay him with what he loves most — results.”

Although Jonny had some unfortunate luck last season in Star Mazda, we are very happy to have him join our F2000 team, as he is an exceptionally talented driver and an excellent teammate for Ricardo Vassmer,” said Andersen. “Jonny tested with us in October in a two-liter car, and he was very fast. Jonny is part of the Andersen family, and we will have a great 2008 season together."

The seven-weekend, 14-race F2000 Championship Series season begins with a doubleheader April 17-20 at VIRginia International Raceway in Alton, Va., one of Baker’s favorite tracks. Since he’d never raced in America before the 2007 season all of the tracks were new to him last year. This year the series will be new to him but he at least has some experience at all the tracks he’ll race at this year except for the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and the brand-new New Jersey Motorsports Park, site of the 2008 F2000 season finale.

For more information on Andersen Racing, which is the official factory team for Van Diemen in F2000 and the official development team of Rahal Letterman Racing, see andersenracingteam.com and andersenracepark.com. Baker’s Web site is at jonnybaker.net, and the F2000 series’ Web site is at f2000championshipseries.com. Andersen Racing is sponsored by Allied Building Products Corp. More information on that company is available at alliedbuilding.com.

About Allied Building Products Corp.:

Allied Building Products Corp., headquartered in East Rutherford, N.J., is one of the largest roofing and siding distributors in the United States. Founded in 1950 with five employees and two trucks, today it is a $1.8 billion building material distribution company with over 3,500 employees, more than 200 branches in 30 states, well over one million square feet of office and warehouse space, and an inventory of approximately 85,000 products, from residential roofing and siding to doors, windows, waterproofing, manufactured stone, interior products and commercial roofing systems. For more information see alliedbuilding.com.

About Andersen Racing:

Andersen Racing strives to provide the best and most comprehensive training possible for future open-wheel superstars while giving its marketing partners media exposure and hospitality opportunities at some of the most prestigious events in North America. It provides a unique, three-step program utilizing multiple entries in three different series: the F2000 Championship (webcast), Star Mazda (televised on SPEED) and the Indy Pro Series (televised on ESPN2). In 2008 it will field multiple entries in 42 races in 19 states and provinces at some of the best facilities on the continent, including the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Andersen Racing’s principals, brother Dan and John Andersen, have extensive experience in series administration as well as team management. They’ve worked with many of today’s top open-wheel stars, including several Indy 500 winners. Andersen Racing is sponsored by Allied Building Products Corp. It is the official development team of Rahal Letterman Racing, which competes in the IndyCar Series and the American Le Mans Series. In addition, its F2000 team is also the official factory team of Van Diemen. The team is headquartered at Andersen RacePark, an 18-acre facility in Palmetto, Fla. that includes a 1-mile test track. For more information see andersenracingteam.com and andersenracepark.com.