Johnson Controls Heats up the Detroit Grand Prix With the Second Round Of Trans-Am Series Triple Challenge
5 August 1999
Johnson Controls Heats up the Detroit Grand Prix With the Second Round Of Trans-Am Series Triple Challenge
Actor Craig T. Nelson takes to
Belle Isle track with Team HomeLink
DETROIT, Aug. 5 -- Johnson Controls, a leading automotive
interior supplier, again is sponsoring the BFGoodrich Tires Trans-Am Series
race at the 1999 Tenneco Detroit Grand Prix. The event is called the Johnson
Controls 100. Johnson Controls has increased its support for this year's race
by creating the "Johnson Controls Triple Challenge," which includes celebrity
driver and actor Craig T. Nelson -- best known for his role as Hayden Fox in
the hit TV series "Coach".
The Triple Challenge consists of three races from the BFGoodrich Tires
Trans-Am racing series. It includes the Trans-Am series races at Long Beach,
California as part of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach (which took place
April 16-18); The Tenneco Detroit Grand Prix, August 6-7; and the West
Michigan Grand Prix in Grand Rapids, Michigan August 27-29.
Johnson Controls is offering a $50,000 bonus to the driver who wins all
three races in the Triple Challenge. The only contender is Paul Gentilozzi,
team owner and driver for Team HomeLink Racing. He won the first race of the
Triple Challenge in Long Beach. If different drivers win either of the two
remaining races, the company will award a $5,000 prize to the driver who
scores the most total Drivers' Championship points in the Triple Challenge.
"Paul Gentilozzi won the Trans-Am series race in Detroit last year for
Johnson Controls; he has an excellent chance of doing it again," said Michael
Suman, group vice president of advanced sales, marketing and development -
worldwide for Johnson Controls. "The addition of Craig T. Nelson to our team
and the series should create some additional excitement for both the Grand
Prix weekend and the Johnson Controls 100 race."
"Johnson Controls' support for the race in Detroit and the series has
added a new dimension and level of excitement for both fans and drivers," said
Gentilozzi who has captured four wins so far this race season. "We fully
intend to win the Johnson Controls 100 in Detroit for the second consecutive
year as well as the Triple Challenge championship."
Gentilozzi added that his teammate, Craig T. Nelson, is a contender for
the Detroit race. "Craig is a talented race car driver who just happens to be
a professional actor, director and producer."
Johnson Controls sponsors Gentilozzi's Rocketsports Racing Team through
its HomeLink(R) Universal Transceiver product, one of the company's strongest
automotive brands. Associate team sponsors include HomeLink suppliers
Chandler, Arizona-based MicroChip Technology, Inc. and Zeeland, Michigan-based
Gentex Corporation.
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 photos of the Team HomeLink race cars or drivers,
contact Dave Roznowski of Johnson Controls, 734-254-5632.
CONTACT: David Roznowski of Johnson Controls, 734-254-5632
Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/473547.html or fax,
800-758-5804, ext. 473547
Web site: http://www.johnsoncontrols.com