Walker Racing Inks Deal With Rodolfo Lavin

[¡As-de-mim!]

Thursday, January 30, 2003

Ladder System Veteran Steps Up to Champ Car World Series

INDIANAPOLIS (January 30, 2003) – Rodolfo Lavin has done battle on many of the tracks of the Champ Car World Series during seven seasons of competition on the Champ Car Ladder System – a system that is designed to build the skills required to send drivers to the upper echelon of open-wheel racing.

Lavin reached the top of that ladder Thursday afternoon as long-time CART team owner Derrick Walker announced that his Walker Racing team had signed the Mexican driver to partner with Darren Manning for a full-season, two-car effort in the Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford.

“We have seen Rodolfo on the scene for many years now and are very familiar with the skills he brings to the team,” said Walker. “His experience and knowledge of the way Champ Car operates – even though he saw it from the Indy Lights and Toyota Atlantic perspective – will help the team and should serve to help his teammate Darren get acclimated to the series this year.”

Lavin will drive the #5 Corona Ford-Cosworth/Reynard for 2003, ending a climb up the Champ Car ladder that has seen the 25-year-old run five years in the Dayton Indy Lights Series as well as a full season in the Toyota Atlantic Championship. He was the Lights series' youngest full-time driver when he made his first start at the age of 18 in 1996 and earned a pair of top-fives in his final year of 2000 before moving to Atlantics. He finished in the top 10 in both of his Atlantic seasons, earning a career-best finish taking second at The Milwaukee Mile last year.

“I look forward to the challenge of competing in the highest category of racing in the US, and we will be giving 110 percent both on and off the track,” said Lavin. “Corona and I are very happy to be with Walker Racing, a team with such a great history and success in CART over the years.”

Both Walker drivers will head south next week for their first 2003 Champ Car testing sessions as Lavin and Manning take part in Champ Car Spring Training at Sebring International Raceway February 4-6.