INDIANAPOLIS (January 15, 2003) — Preparing for a new era in Champ Car racing, Championship Auto Racing Teams today took its first bold strides toward the future with the unveiling of new logos for the Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford as well as a new corporate logo.

The new Champ Car World Series logo and the corporate rebranding celebrates much of the heritage of the fastest open-wheel series in North America, while providing a link to an exciting future. The new logo also prominently features new series partners in Bridgestone and the Ford Motor Company.

“Today’s announcement is a major step toward taking this series not only to where we want it to be – but to a position befitting the heritage, status and challenge of the Champ Car World Series,” said CART President and CEO Christopher R. Pook. “The new look of the series will provide a solid platform for Champ Car, Bridgestone and the Ford Motor Company to move into what will be a very successful future.”

The logo features the Champ Car World Series in the center, harkening back to a tradition of racing that began in the early 1900s when the fastest racing cars in the world were known as Championship Cars. The World Series component highlights the scope of the series, which draws six-figure crowds at venues not only in the United States, but also in Canada, Mexico, Europe and Australia, making it the only racing series in North America with that type of market delivery. The contemporary design of the logo also features a new arrow-style icon that melds the directional arrows on computer keyboards and traffic signs, pointing toward the series’ passion for technology as well as the urban environments where it competes. The orange color incorporated in the logo reflects the energy created by the cars, venues, fans, teams and drivers of the series.

The exciting racing that drew a series-record 2,686,640 fans last year, also attracts top-level driving talent from all over the world to compete on its unmatched schedule. The Champ Cars provide a unique urban delivery vehicle of top-tier drivers competing on world-class street circuits in key markets, combined with fabled road courses, demanding short ovals and high-speed superspeedways. This diverse racing combination provided the challenge that drew the early legends of the sport such as Mario Andretti, A.J. Foyt, Rick Mears and Bobby Rahal to the series, and it was the success of those drivers that spawned a new generation of superstars that would go on to become known across the world.

Drivers such as Alex Zanardi, Jacques Villeneuve, Nigel Mansell, Emerson Fittipaldi, Juan Pablo Montoya and Cristiano da Matta have all made their mark in Champ Car racing, electing to hone their skills on what is the truest test of a driver’s ability in North American open-wheel competition.

That tradition will continue in 2003 and beyond as the next tier of champions await their chance to join the pantheon of greats. Champ Car World Series veterans such as Paul Tracy, Adrian Fernandez and Patrick Carpentier will match their skills against much of the top young talent in the business, as drivers from around the globe look to carve themselves a foothold in the racing landscape.

Championship Auto Racing Teams, Inc. (NYSE: MPH) owns, operates and markets the 2003 Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford. 2002 CART champion Cristiano da Matta led a list of open-wheel stars this past season competing with teams such as Newman/Haas Racing, Player's/Forsythe Racing, Team Rahal, Fernández Racing, Patrick Racing, Herdez Competition, Walker Racing and others. CART Champ Cars are thoroughbred racing machines that reach speeds in excess of 200 miles per hour, showcasing the technical expertise of manufacturers such as Ford Motor Company, Lola Cars, Reynard Motorsport and Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire, LLC. The 19-race 2003 Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford will be broadcast by television partners CBS, FOX and SPEED Channel. CART also owns and operates its top development series, the Toyota Atlantic Championship. Learn more about CART's open-wheel racing series at www.cart.com.