IndyCar Series News for the week of April 14, 1994

NEW TELEVISION AGREEMENT ANNOUNCED ----------------------------------
(April 14, 1994) -- IndyCar president and chief executive officer Andrew Craig and ESPN president Steve Bornstein have announced a new television package for the PPG Indy Car World Series. IndyCar and the all-sports television network have entered into a five-year agreement in which ESPN owns all domestic American TV distribution rights and a portion of IndyCar's international rights.
The agreement means that ESPN, through its subsidiary OCC Sports, will take over all TV advertising sales of IndyCar races. OCC (Ohlymeyer Communications Company) has produced all IndyCar races for the past 11 years, and will now take over from IndyCar buying the time slots for the races which are broadcast on ABC. Half of the IndyCar schedule is broadcast on ABC and half on ESPN, with one race airing on NBC. The Indianapolis 500 is telecast under an entriely separate and independent agreement between the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and ABC.
The five-year contract between ESPN and IndyCar means that IndyCar is out of the "time buy" business which was the innovative method it used to get onto network television 10 years ago. The "time buy" responsibility is now carried by ESPN which guarantees to rebroadcast every race a second time either on ESPN or its new youth-oriented second network, called ESPN2.
Tim Dolman, who has been IndyCar's senior vice president of marketing and broadcast operations, moves to OCC Sports to take over the management of Indycar racing's television package. With Dolman's move to OCC, IndyCar's New York office will folded into the Bloomfield Hills, Michigan headquarters, with all aspects of IndyCar's management and administration now consolidated in one office.

ILMOR PHASE TWO DEBUTS ----------------------
(April 14, 1994) -- Ilmor produced a new 'phase two' version of its latest Indy V8 turbo engine
for last weekend's Slick-50 200 at Phoenix International Raceway. The new engine was raced by Penske's three cars. It took the pole with Paul Tracy and finished one-two with Emerson Fittipaldi and Al Unser Jr. The latest Ilmor Indy V8 was also raced last Sunday by Teo Fabi's Hall Reynard and Arie Luyendyk's Indy Regency Lola.
The new engine features revised cylinder heads and intake plenum system. Last Friday was the first time one of the engines had run in a car, and going into the weekend the plan was to practice and qualify with the new engines and race with the standard-spec V8. There were no problems however, and the all five cars raced the new Ilmors.

CRAIG MEETS WITH GEORGE -----------------------
(April 14, 1994) -- IndyCar's president Andrew Craig spent a day with Indianapolis Motor speedway president Tony George last week, discussing their differences. "As I've said, we're learning to understand our differences, and trying to find common ground," said Craig. "Other than that, I can't comment about our discussions at this stage."
Craig will meet again with George next week, following the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, which is the last PPG Cup Indy Car World Series race before the month of May at Indianapolis. Craig said he intends to spend much of next month in Indianapolis, something no previous IndyCar president or chairman has done.

CRAIG CALLS HIS CUSTOMERS -------------------------
(April 14, 1994) -- Four spectators received minor injuries (a scrape, a bruise and two small cuts) when a wheel from Michael Andretti's car flew over the turn three retaining fence at Phoenix International Raceway last Sunday. None of the spectators needed medical treatment.
Later on Sunday evening, IndyCar president Andrew Craig was able to speak to each of the four spectators on the telephone. Craig expressed his concern, told them he hoped they had enjoyed their afternoon and asked about their health to insure they were not injured in any way.

RIBBS IN NEW LOLA -----------------
(April 14, 1994) -- Willy T. Ribbs who drives one of Derrick Walker's three Lola-Ford Indy cars, will have a new 1994 Lola chassis for Indianapolis. Ribbs is in his second year with Walker's team, sponsored by Bill Cosby and Service Merchandise. He ran year old equipment last year, and started this season with a 1993 chassis. "It'll be the first time since I've been racing Indy cars that I'll have a brand new car," said Ribbs about next month's 78th Indy 500.