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British Racing Champions to Develop Race Cars with ASHA Traction Technology

8 August 1997

British Racing Champions to Develop Race Cars with ASHA Traction Technology

    SANTA BARBARA, Calif., August 8 -- ASHA Corporation
announces that it has signed a 2-year agreement with Williams
Touring Car Ltd of Dideot, England, to develop GERODISC(TM) differentials for
its race cars which compete in the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC)
racing series, Financial details were not disclosed.
    "Williams Touring Car Engineering is one of the most well-known and
successful racing groups in Europe," says ASHA European Director Claude
Dubois.  "They are known for excellence, innovation, and being competitive
season after season."
    Williams runs Renault vehicles in the BTCC series.  Presently they are the
series leader and defending champion.
    Williams Touring Car Engineering is owned by Williams Grand Prix
Engineering, one of the world's leading Formula 1 racing organizations
(Williams-Renault) that teams both owner Frank Williams, and Technical
Director Patrick Head.
    GERODISC is a self-contained hydromechanical device that contains a
continuously operating fluid pump, piston, and set of clutches that fit inside
the axle carrier.  The GERODISC unit will limit wheel spin by automatically
sensing when a wheel begins to slip.  The increased wheel speed increases the
pump's output pressure, which causes the clutches to engage and slow the
spinning wheel.  At the same time the GERODISC unit smoothly transfers the
incoming drive shaft torque to the non-spinning wheel to regain traction.  It
continuously monitors and maintains this torque balancing act regardless of
which wheel begins to spin and lose traction, thus providing a dynamic safety
and handling feature that race cars without GERODISC technology do not offer.
    GERODISC is the only known technology, according to Dubois, that is
compatible with all cars, vans, sport utility vehicles, and trucks, and can be
used on all types of vehicle platforms:  front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive,
all-wheel drive, and four-wheel drive.  In addition to improving vehicle
traction, handling, and safety, it will reduce weight, cost and projected
warranty exposure when compared to the current traction system now being used.
    ASHA Corporation, headquartered in Santa Barbara, develops advanced
technology products, and automotive design and manufacturing techniques for
the global automotive industry.  The stock is traded on the NASDAQ SmallCap
Market (Symbol: ASHA).

SOURCE  ASHA Corporation