2007 Champ Car Season - News - Series

Series

• Zhuhai, China (November 30, 2006) – Roberto Moreno made history today in China as he took the 2007 DP01 on track at Zhuhai International Circuit, marking the first time a Champ Car has run in China. Moreno was in Zhuhai with an envoy of Champ Car representatives as officials from the City of Zhuhai, Zhuhai International Circuit and Champ Car announced the 2007 Champ Car China Grand Prix to a collection of local and national Chinese media.

• (December 20, 2006) – Champ Car teams from Michigan to California descended upon Indianapolis to take delivery of the new DP01 Champ Cars, which will serve as the exclusive car to the series in 2007. The newly constructed cars arrived Monday in Indianapolis from the Elan Motorsports facility in Braselton, Georgia, and each team was greeted with a carbon-fiber machine distinguishable from the others only by a car number and a team logo affixed to the nose.

• (January 17, 2007) – The Champ Car World Series has retained Next Marketing as its exclusive worldwide sales agency effective immediately. Named as one of the top 20 sports marketing agencies in 2006, by Sports Business Journal, Georgia-based Next Marketing will be responsible for developing sponsorship packages and opportunities for the Champ Car World Series as well as the Champ Car Atlantic Series, along with working with the Series' stakeholders to increase sponsorship opportunities.

• (February 8, 2007) – iRise, the world's leading application definition software company, today announced that it has signed a long-term agreement to be an official sponsor of the Champ Car World Series and will be the official business software simulation supplier to the Champ Car World Series. As part of its sponsorship, iRise will be hosting a series of CIO Roundtable events using the excitement of world-class racing as a backdrop. Each CIO Roundtable will include peer-based content on the most pressing topics facing IT executives today, followed by opportunities for CIOs to network with each other in a truly unique environment.

• (February 12, 2007) – Champ Car World Series Tests Standing-Start Procedure For First Time – MSR Houston – Katherine Legge leisurely rolled her Dale Coyne Racing Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone Champ Car to a stop on the front straight while rookie Graham Rahal sidled up alongside and stopped. Both drivers fixed their eyes on a bank of lights perched over the track. The scarlet lights went dark as the two Champ Cars rocketed from their spots to make the first side-by-side test of Champ Car's new standing-start procedure – which will go into effect at the start of the 2007 season.

• (February 28, 2007) – The Champ Car World Series today bolstered its efforts in the communications and public relations areas by contracting with veteran communications professional Sid Priddle to serve as a consultant to the series effective immediately. Priddle's list of accomplishments includes successful stints with Team KOOL Green in the 1990s, Canada's famed Torchia public relations agency and has served as the head of communications of the highly successful Champ Car Grand Prix of Edmonton for the first two seasons. Priddle was also the Communications Director for the Molson Indy for the first 10 years of the event and spent several years managing Player's motorsport programs. Priddle will be tasked with developing overall communications strategy along with numerous specialty projects as they relate to Champ Car communications. He will also work closely with Brener, Zweikel & Associates, which is Champ Car's outside public relations agency, in order to build a more comprehensive mainstream exposure plan for the series.

• (March 6, 2007) – The Champ Car World Series announced today that it had moved director of the Champ Car Fast Lap team, Cathie Lyon, to the position of Director of Partner Services. Lyon, who has been a vital part of the Champ Car World Series since 1989, will take over responsibility for partner services, and will be working closely with all of the series sponsors, partners and suppliers.

• (March 8, 2007) – Long a key component of the Champ Car Safety Team, Holmatro Rescue Tools have taken the next step for 2007, becoming the title sponsor of what will now be known as the Holmatro Safety Team. The Holmatro Safety Team is the longest-running and most-celebrated quick-response safety team in all of motorsports, providing at-track support at every Champ Car race since its 1984 inception.

• (March 8, 2007) – The Champ Car World Series today entered an agreement with Mazda North American Operations that will see the famed manufacturer become The Official Vehicle of the Champ Car World Series for 2007. Mazda will be able to showcase its performance cars as part of the Champ Car Pace Car Program, and will have its trucks, SUVs and crossover vehicles featured as part of the world-renowned Holmatro Safety Team, Champ Car's fast-response safety squad.

• (March 9, 2007) – Champ Car will team with The NewsMarket (www.thenewsmarket.com), the media's online source for video, for digital delivery of Champ Car's video assets to broadcast news and online media outlets worldwide.

• (March 10, 2007) Aussie Vineyard's AU wine has been named as the "Official Wine of the Champ Car World Series". Team Australia co-owners Derrick Walker and Craig Gore and series co-owner Kevin Kalkhoven made the announcement during Spring Training at Laguna Seca Raceway in California today.

• (March 28, 2007) – Minardi Team USA co-owner, Paul Stoddart, announced that the Minardi two-seater team will appear at a number of Champ Car World Series race weekends in 2007.

• (May 14, 2007) – Champ Car World Series executives and race promoters along with a handful of Champ Car drivers are in Europe for a four day, four city tour where they will meet with media representatives, giving them a foretaste of what to expect when the Series stops in Zolder, Belgium August 24 – 26 for the Champ Car Grand Prix of Belgium and in Assen, The Netherlands for the Dutch Champ Car Grand Prix, August 31 – September 2.

• (May 14, 2007) – The Champ Car World Series today tabbed veteran sports executive David Higdon to lead Champ Car's strategic development and communications. Higdon assumes a new role at Champ Car as Executive Vice President of Strategic Development and Communications after serving most recently as Senior Vice President, Communications for the ATP, governing body of the international men's tennis circuit. Since 1998, Higdon developed and implemented the ATP's public relations strategy, which included worldwide communications and promotion of men's tennis players and tournaments.

• (June 4, 2007) – Champ Car lost a member of its family on Friday June 1, 2007 as Denny Fedor passed away. Easily recognized by his handlebar mustache, Denny was always available to help. He worked with the Champ Car Pace Car program for more than 20 years, logging more the half-a-million miles in that time, easily making him the most experienced driver on the Pace Car team.

• (June 7, 2007) – Renowned production house, Traveling Light has combined with Champ Car to produce new television advertising for the 2007 season as part of a new Champ Car campaign entitled "Quotes" which ties print, television and internet advertising to a famous historical quotes. Traveling Light's 30-second television spot stands out as the showcase.

• (June 22, 2007) – Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC (BFNT), and Champ Car announced that, less than halfway through the 2007 Champ Car World Series season, provisions have been met to assure that the Bridgestone brand will remain the series' Official Tire through at least 2009.

• (July 12, 2007) – Champ Car World Series President and CEO Steve Johnson announced today that Tony Cotman has been named Executive Vice President, Operations, effective immediately. Cotman, who has a long and distinguished career in motorsports, will be responsible for much of the day-to-day operations of the Series including legal, personnel, finance and marketing. He also will continue in his critical role as Race Director until he has identified a replacement and the best time to relinquish his duties.

• (July 16, 2007) – The Seven Network (Australia) today confirmed the signing of an agreement to broadcast coverage of the Champ Car World Series. Today's signing strengthens Seven's commitment to the upcoming Lexmark Indy 300 on the Gold Coast and complements the network's partnership with V8 Supercars Australia.

• (PHOENIX (August 28, 2007) After nearly two years of planning and preparing for Grand Prix Arizona, the organizers of this Champ Car race have determined that it is no longer viable and are therefore canceling the event for 2007. @champcar.ws