Johnson Controls to Sponsor Rocketsports Racing
12 February 1999
Johnson Controls to Sponsor Rocketsports Racing in 1999 BFGoodrich Tires Trans-Am Season
PLYMOUTH, MICH., Feb. 11 -- Johnson Controls --
under its HomeLink(R) product brand -- will be the primary sponsor for
Lansing, Mich.-based Rocketsports Racing during the 1999 BFGoodrich Tires
Trans-Am Series season. The announcement was made today by team owner/driver
Paul Gentilozzi and Michael Suman, group vice president for advanced sales,
marketing and development worldwide for Johnson Controls. Gentilozzi, who won
the 1998 Trans-Am Drivers' Championship, will again handle the driving
responsibilities.
The 1999 season marks Johnson Controls' second season with Rocketsports
Racing in the Trans-Am competition. HomeLink, Johnson Controls' electronic
communications device that enables drivers to remotely open garage doors,
operate door locks, and activate home lighting, safety and convenience
systems, was an associate sponsor with the team last year.
"We're delighted to welcome back Johnson Controls as an integral team
player in the Rocketsports stable," Gentilozzi said. "Our success in 1998 can
be attributed to an experienced race team reaching its peak. This pinnacle can
only be achieved with the support of a sponsor desiring the same levels of
success. We feel privileged to have a major sponsor of the caliber of Johnson
Controls and it is clearly our intention to put HomeLink in the Winner's
Circle -- both at the track and in the automotive marketplace."
In addition to winning the drivers' title in 1998, Rocketsports Racing
collected 10 poles and nine victories, including four flag-to-flag wins.
Gentilozzi's nine fastest race laps tied the record of three-time Trans-Am
champion Tom Kendall. Gentilozzi ranks first in all-time Trans-Am "Fast Five"
qualifying starts (70) and third in all-time top-five (61) and top-ten (86)
finishes.
"HomeLink already is established as one of the most successful brand-name
products for Johnson Controls and the industry overall," said Suman. "Our
continued association with motorsports and the championship Rocketsports team
will certainly generate additional interest and increased exposure levels for
the HomeLink product, its partners and its benefits."
The HomeLink Universal Transceiver from Johnson Controls can be integrated
into a vehicle's overhead console, sun visor, or rear-view mirror. Future
versions of HomeLink will enable drivers to remotely check tire pressure, send
short-range paging messages, automatically pay for gasoline and highway tolls,
and integrate with remote keyless entry devices.
According to Suman, for the 1999 model year, HomeLink is available as an
option on 93 different vehicle models worldwide.
The Plymouth, Michigan-based automotive business of Johnson Controls --
which employs more than 57,000 people at 275 facilities worldwide --
achieved US$9.3 billion in sales for the 1998 fiscal year. In model-year 1999,
it will supply interior products for more than 22 million vehicles.
Johnson Controls, Inc. is a global leader in automotive systems and
facility management and control. In the automotive market, it is a major
supplier of seating and interior systems, and batteries. For non-residential
facilities, Johnson Controls provides building control systems and services,
energy management and integrated facility management. Johnson Controls
, founded in 1885, has headquarters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Its
sales for 1998 totaled US$12.6 billion.
NOTE TO EDITORS: For access to other Johnson Controls news releases and
additional company information, visit the company's site on the World Wide Web
at http://www.johnsoncontrols.com.
CONTACT: David Roznowski of Johnson Controls, 734-254-5632; or Wendy
Gabers of Rocket Sports, 517-371-3230.
Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/473547.html or fax,
800-758-5804, ext. 473547.
Web site: http://www.johnsoncontrols.com.