Penske Racing Signs Andre Ribeiro to Team With Al Unser Jr.

9 October 1997
Penske Racing Signs Andre Ribeiro to Team With Al Unser Jr.

    READING, Penn., Oct. 9 -- Penske Racing announced today that
Andre Ribeiro has been signed to a multi-year agreement to drive alongside Al
Unser Jr. for Marlboro Team Penske in the 19 race 1998 PPG CART World Series.
Ribeiro replaces Paul Tracy, who has been released from his contract as a
driver by Penske Racing.
    Unser and Ribeiro will campaign all new '98 Marlboro Penske chassis
designed by John Travis, manufactured by Penske Cars of Poole, England and
powered by Mercedes-Benz engines.
    Ribeiro, 31, has won three CART races (Michigan, Rio de Janeiro and New
Hampshire) and two pole positions during the past three years driving for
Tasman Motorsports Group.  In 1994, he won four races and was championship
runner-up in the PPG Firestone Indy Lights Series.  Ribeiro previously
competed in the British Formula 3 Series, Formula Opel European Series.  He
began his career in 1985 racing karts in Brazil and then graduated to the
Brazilian Formula Ford Series.
    A native of Sao Paulo, Brazil, he maintains residences in Miami, Florida
as well as Sao Paulo.
    Unser, 35, has won twelve Indy car races since joining Marlboro Team
Penske in 1994 and has 31 victories during his sixteen year career including
two PPG Indy Car World Series championships and two Indianapolis 500 wins.
Unser, from Albuquerque, New Mexico, ranks second in victories among active
Indy car drivers.
    Penske Racing is the most successful Indy Car racing team in history with
99 wins, highlighted by nine Indy car racing National Championships, ten
Indianapolis 500 mile race victories and 118 pole positions.
    Penske Racing is a subsidiary of Penske Corporation, a closely-held,
diversified transportation services company which conducts its business
through a number of wholly or partially-owned companies, including Detroit
Diesel Corporation, Penske Truck Leasing Company, Diesel Technology Company,
Penske Capital Partners, L.L.C., Penske Automotive Group, Inc., Penske Auto
Centers, Inc., and Penske Motorsports, Inc.  Penske Corporation manages
businesses with annual revenues exceeding $6 billion and employs more than
28,000 around the world.

SOURCE  Penske Racing