IndyCar - Paul Ziggy Harcus Wins IMIS / C&R Racing True Grit Award

INDIANAPOLIS, May 23, 2011: Officials from the International Motorsports Industry Show (IMIS) and C&R Racing Inc., announced May 23 that Paul “Ziggy” Harcus was awarded the IMIS / C&R Racing “True Grit” Award.

The $5,000 award is annually given to a veteran INDYCAR team member who has achieved success, overcome adversity, excelled in preparation and has exemplified dedication to the highly skilled trade of building and maintaining IZOD IndyCar Series cars.

“It’s an honor for all of us at IMIS and C&R Racing to present the ‘True Grit’ Award to ‘Ziggy’ Harcus,” said Chris Paulsen, owner of C&R Racing and co-founder of IMIS. “He represents what the ‘True Grit’ Award is all about and throughout the years has been one of the hardest working guys in the sport. At IMIS and C&R Racing, we work for the hardcore racer and ‘Ziggy’ is certainly the definition of that.”

Harcus is in his fourth year with Andretti Autosport after spending 2005-2007 as the director of operations for CART/Champ Car. Prior to his stint with the sanctioning body, Harcus worked with Kelley Racing, PacWest Racing and Galles Racing.

“I’m honored to win the IMIS / C&R Racing ‘True Grit’ Award,” Harcus said. “I’ve known Chris for a long time and he’s a former Indy car mechanic so he knows the long hours and sacrifice that go into the job. I’m humbled that I’ve been selected for this award and it’s certainly nice to be honored by your peers. I want to also thank all the people I work with at Andretti Autosport.”

C&R Racing manufactures and distributes complete cooling systems, chassis and drivetrain components, wind-tunnel models and an assortment of other parts and pieces to INDYCAR and NASCAR teams, as well as several other racing series throughout the world. With more than 20 years of history, C&R Racing is considered one of the most important motorsports businesses in the world.

The third annual IMIS event is scheduled for Dec. 8-10, 2011 at the Indiana Convention Center. The hardcore racing trade show was founded in 2009 by Paulsen, Tom Weisenbach, executive director of the Indiana Motorsports Association (IMA), Jeff Stoops, president of Stoops Freightliner, and two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart.

Paulsen and C&R established the “True Grit” Award in 1998 for crew members in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400.

Past Indianapolis 500 “True Grit” Award winners include: Kyle Moyer (Andretti Green Racing), Mitch Davis (Target Chip Ganassi Racing), Rick Long (Speedway Engines), Clive Howell (Penske Racing), Rick Rinaman (Penske Racing), Owen Snyder Jr., (Eddie Cheever Racing), Dennis Lacava (Hemelgarn Racing), John O’Gara (A.J. Foyt Enterprises), Craig Baranouski (A.J. Foyt Enterprises), John King (A.J. Foyt Enterprises) Tim Coffeen (Newman/Haas/Lanigan), Tim Homberg (Newman/Haas/Lanigan), John Tzouanakis (Newman/Haas/Lanigan) and the late Davey Evans (Newman/Haas/Lanigan).