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Old 20 Oct 2001, 01:27 (Ref:163140)   #1
SevenGrain
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Join Date: Mar 2001
United States
Berea, KY
Posts: 576
SevenGrain should be qualifying in the top 10 on the grid
Mo Nunn racing to the IRL

Press Release from Mo Nunn racing:

Mo Nunn Racing To Run Hollywood-Sponsored IRL Entry In 2002
And Field Two Entries at the 2002 Indy 500

INDIANAPOLIS (Oct. 19, 2001) - Mo Nunn Racing announced today that it will
own and operate one full-time entry in the Indy Racing League starting in
2002. The driver of that car will be 2001 IRL Rookie of the Year Felipe
Giaffone. The car will be sponsored by Hollywood - a Brazilian tobacco
company - which has worked with both Nunn in the CART series and Giaffone in
the IRL.

In addition to the Hollywood team competing for the IRL championship, Mo
Nunn Racing also confirmed that it will field two entries in the 2002
Indianapolis 500. The driver and sponsor of the second car at the Indy 500
will be announced at a later date. Engine and chassis decisions will also
be announced at a later date.

"This is certainly great news for our organization and having the ability to
take two cars back to the Indy 500 is very exciting for the whole team,"
said Morris Nunn. "We will continue to field the Pioneer-WorldCom car in
CART in 2002, but with the CART situation as it is right now, we felt a real
need to spread our wings. I am delighted that Hollywood has chosen to make
this move to the IRL with us and we look forward to providing Felipe with
all of the tools necessary to win a championship."

"This is a great opportunity for Hollywood," said Mark Hulit, consumer
marketing director for Souza Cruz, the parent company for the Brazilian
Hollywood brand of British American Tobacco. "We are delighted to continue
our strong partnership with Mo Nunn Racing and about continuing in the Indy
Racing League. We feel the IRL has a great future. The series is very
professional, cost-effective for sponsors, and it is carefully planning for
the future. And, the series continues to develop and strengthen with each
season under the leadership of Tony George. Mo Nunn Racing and Felipe
Giaffone will be a solid combination in our efforts to achieve results in
2002 and into the future."

Hollywood has a long history of motorsports sponsorship over the past 30
years in a variety of series and countries. It has been involved in the
CART series since 1994.

"We value our eight years in CART, but we feel the timing is right to focus
on the IRL for the future," Hulit said.

Mo Nunn Racing was formed in December of 1999 by a group led by championship
engineer Morris Nunn. The team, based in Indianapolis, also includes
Brazilian driver Tony Kanaan. Nunn is one of the best-known and most
successful engineers in Indy car racing history. While serving as chief
engineer for Alex Zanardi in 1996, 1997 and 1998, he helped guide Zanardi to
Rookie of the Year honors (1996) and back-to-back CART FedEx Series
Championships (1997-98). In 1999, Nunn teamed with current Formula One star
Juan Pablo Montoya to win that year's CART FedEx Series Championship. Nunn
also guided Emerson Fittipaldi to an Indy car championship and an Indy 500
victory in 1989.

The 15-event Indy Racing League schedule for 2002 begins March 2 at
Homestead, Fla. The 2002 CART FedEx Championship Series schedule has yet to
be announced.
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