Porsche Supercup Indianapolis preview

Sabato, Adam to participate in Porsche Supercup races.
Celebrities, other Porsche Supercup drivers to participate in autograph session.

INDIANAPOLIS, Monday, Sept. 23, 2002 -- Actor Antonio Sabato Jr. and American Le Mans Series broadcast co-anchor Bill Adam will compete in the Porsche Michelin Supercup Series races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway Sept. 28-29 during the SAP United States Grand Prix weekend.

The celebrity drivers also will join three regulars from the Supercup series for a public autograph session on Sept. 28 at IMS.

Sabato, 29, is a resident of Los Angeles, but lived in Rome until age 12. He returns to Indianapolis as a Supercup competitor after having served as celebrity spokesperson for the USGP Formula One weekend in 2001.

Sabato's acting credits includes roles on a number of well-known television shows and motion pictures, including primetime shows "Melrose Place" and "Ally McBeal," the daytime drama "General Hospital" and the movie "The Big Hit," also starring Mark Wahlberg and Lou Diamond Phillips. Sabato also served as a model for Calvin Klein for two years.

Sabato's father, Antonio Sabato Sr., portrayed a race driver in the classic 1966 motion picture "Grand Prix," starring James Garner.

Adam has used his experience as an endurance-racing competitor to enhance commentary for the American Le Mans Series and Trans-Am Series. His work behind the microphone has been featured on three networks in 2002: NBC, CBS and The Speed Channel.

Adam earned acclaim driving Jaguars for the Group 44 and Brian Redman teams, scoring victories at notable venues such as Sebring, Daytona International Speedway, Road Atlanta, Lime Rock, Road America and Mosport.

He also drove for Champion Racing's Porsche team beginning in 1993, scoring a victory with co-driver Hans Stuck Jr. at Sebring in 1996, and has since earned additional wins in Trans-Am and vintage racing.

Sabato and Adam will participate in a public autograph session from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (EST) Saturday, Sept. 28 at the Historic Grand Prix tent in the east parking lot of the Speedway's Hall of Fame Museum.

Also signing autographs will be three of the Porsche Michelin Supercup series' top drivers: Alessandro Zampedri, Stephane Ortelli and Timo Bernhard.

Zampedri, driver of the No. 21 PZ Rhein-Oberberg/Jurgen Alzen Porsche, competed in the Indianapolis 500 in 1995 and 1996, with a best-career finish of fourth in 1996 despite an accident on Lap 199 that left him with severe foot injuries.

Zampedri, of Italy, is third in the Supercup standings going into the two final races of the season at Indianapolis.

Ortelli, driver of the No. 17 Kadach Tuning + Service Porsche and former 24 Hours of Le Mans winner, is the points leader entering the final two rounds at Indianapolis.

Bernhard is a Porsche works driver and teammate to Zampedri in the Supercup series. He will drive the No. 20 PZ Rhein-Oberberg/Jurgen Alzen Porsche at Indianapolis and enters the weekend sixth in points.

Porsche Michelin Supercup races start at 3 p.m. (EST) Sept. 28 and 9:20 a.m. Sept. 29 on the 2.606-mile road circuit.

***

USGP tickets available: SAP United States Grand Prix tickets are available by calling (800) 822-4639 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. (EST) Monday through Friday or online at www.imstix.com. Visa, MasterCard and American Express are accepted.

Ticket order forms also can be downloaded at www.usgpindy.com or obtained by writing to USGP Tickets, P.O. Box 24915, Speedway, IN 46224.

-ims-