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CART: Pioneer Joins Arciero-Wells Racing Team

6 November 1998

FONTANA, Calif. - The Arciero-Wells Championship Auto Racing Team announced today that Pioneer Electronics, a leader in the consumer electronics and commercial video markets, will sponsor the number 24 Toyota-powered Reynard Championship Car in the 1999 FedEx Championship Series. Scott Pruett, who signed with the Arciero-Wells Racing Team in August of this year, will drive the Pioneer-sponsored entry.

"We have had successful sponsorships in all different forms of racing-from Formula One to NHRA, for the past ten years," comments Ed Sachs, Pioneer Electronics' executive vice president, sales. "The dynamics of this sponsorship will elevate us to a new level by creating a strong brand awareness in an internationally known entity like the CART FedEx Championship Series."

"The team is thrilled to expand our strong corporate alliances with a new motorsports partner who has such a world-renowned presence," said Cal Wells III, co-team owner. "We are proud to become a part of Pioneer's strong marketing platform, utilizing racing to promote a new image and logo, through their entry into the competitive world of Championship Car racing with the Arciero-Wells/Toyota team."

"I have known Scott Pruett for a long time, and to see him join our team is something special," said Frank Arciero, Sr., co-team owner. "I've been a part of racing for many years and I look forward to next year."

"As an engine supplier in the highly competitive FedEx Championship Series, Toyota welcomes Pioneer and is pleased to renew its relationship with a driver as talented as Scott Pruett," said Les Unger, Toyota Motor Sales National Motorsports Manager. [Pruett participated in the Toyota Pro-Celebrity Race in Long Beach in 1984.]

"To say I'm excited, is an understatement," said Pruett. "Not only am I beginning a new relationship with Cal Wells and his team, Arceiro-Wells and Toyota, but also adding someone with whom I have had a long term partnership, Pioneer Electronics. Pioneer and I have enjoyed a relationship since the early 90s, both on a business level and a personal one. To be a part of their advancement to the next level as a title sponsor is exciting. Pioneer is the leader in home and car electronics, now we have the opportunity to make them the leader in CART. For all of this to come together, with Cal, Toyota, Firestone and now, Pioneer is great. There is so much synergy that brought this relationship together, and I am just proud to be a part of it. It will be an honor and pleasure to represent them." "We are delighted by Pioneer's decision to sponsor the Arciero-Wells racing team and Scott Pruett," said Andrew Craig, CART's chairman and CEO. "Pioneer is exactly the type of high-quality, world-class company that is a great fit with CART and our Champ Car teams.

"We are immensely proud to have Pioneer join the CART family. Three years ago, we embarked upon a strategy to build our presence in Japan. In that time, we have added our race at Twin Ring Motegi, seen two quality Japanese drivers in the series and, now have added a major Japanese company as the primary sponsor for one of our teams. I'm pleased to see we are making real progress on this initiative."

Pioneer Electronic Corporation is a leader in consumer electronics and commercial video products, recognized around the world for its position at the forefront of optical disc technology, car electronics and consumer entertainment. With more than 20,000 employees and over $4.2 billion in yearly sales worldwide, Pioneer operates facilities in Japan, Europe, Southeast Asia, the United States, Canada and Mexico. Pioneer Electronic Corporation is led by Mr. Kaneo Ito, president.

By joining the Arciero-Wells team, Pioneer becomes the newest sponsor in the FedEx Championship Series, the world's fastest racing series.

Precision Preparation, Inc. (PPI) started by Cal Wells III in 1979, specializes in building winning off-road racing trucks. PPI has won 23 off-road championships and now features a work force of almost 150 employees at its facilities in Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. Wells expanded his winning team and company into other racing venues, partnering with veteran CART team owner Frank Arciero Sr. in 1995 to form Arciero-Wells. In 1998, the team is campaigning driver Max Papis in the MCI WorldCom-sponsored entry. Hiro Matsushita began the year in a Panasonic Duskin-sponsored entry, and then retired as announced after the race at the Nelson Piquet International Raceway in Rio de Janeiro. Robby Gordon made his 1998 CART debut at the Nazareth Speedway in April but did not compete at the Rio event. Gordon resumed full-time driving duties at Gateway International Raceway in Madison, Ill. in May, piloting the Panasonic Duskin-sponsored entry. The drivers use a 1998 Reynard chassis powered by Toyota with Firestone Tires.

PPI will continue its off-road racing team with Ivan "Ironman" Stewart at the wheel of an MCI WorldCom-sponsored, Toyota Trophy Truck powered by a Tundra Racing V-8 powerplant in the SCORE Off-Road Series. For the second year in a row, the team entered multiple drivers in the KOOL/Toyota Atlantic Championship series; Anthony Lazzaro, Masaoki Nagashima and Jeff Shafer. Lazzaro raced the MCI WorldCom/PPI Swift, Nagashima in the Panasonic Duskin/PPI Swift and Shafer in the Derek Daly Academy/PPI Swift. The team fielded no more than two Atlantic entries at any given race.