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CART: Rookie Marcel Tiemann Joins Bryan Herta at Zakspeed/Forsythe

20 January 2001

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
Hilliard, Ohio - Zakspeed/Forsythe Racing will make its 2001 CART FedEx Series debut at the season opener in Monterrey, Mexico, on March 11th. CART's first German/American team will field two entries in 2001, with veteran Champ Car driver Bryan Herta and series newcomer Marcel Tiemann.

Herta completed two successful days of testing at Sebring in his 2001 Ford/Reynard/Firestone, while Tiemann completed a driver evaluation in a 2000 Ford/Reynard/Firestone at Firebird Raceway in Phoenix.

Zakspeed/Forsythe co-owner Peter Zakowski was present for Tiemann's evaluation, and was very impressed by the young German's performance. "Marcel was brilliant in his evaluation. We are pleased to welcome Marcel to the team, and we are confident he will find success in the CART Fed Ex Series. Bryan's technical experience is an asset to our organization, and we are confident he and Marcel will complement each other on and off the track."

A native of Hamburg, Germany, Tiemann spent the 2000 season competing in the German Touring Car Championship with Mercedes Benz, where he finished ninth in the championship. "I am pleased to be competing in the CART FedEx Series. Along with Formula One, the Champ Car series is one of the greatest challenges for a racecar driver. This series is very competitive, and I am honored to participate. The car is very impressive, and I look forward to the coming season," said Tiemann.

"It has been a dream of mine to participate in the American Champ Car series. Jerry Forsythe and I are ambitious in our goals for the 2001 season, but at the same time we are confident in our team and drivers. We are pleased to represent Germany with a native driver in the CART Series; particularly this year, as we approach the German 500 at the Euro Speedway in Lausitz, Germany," said Zakowski.

Both drivers will continue their pre-season testing next week, with Tiemann in Sebring the 21st and 22nd, and Herta in Phoenix the 23rd and 24th.

Text Provided By Deanna K. Griffith

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