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IRP Twin 25's Team Mopar news

The Mopar Twin 25'S: Take Two! The Mopar Twin 25's Take Their Place in Motorsports History CENTER LINE, Mich. - When Performance Racing Industry CEO Steve Lewis set his promotional team to work on a creating a one-of-a-kind racing event last year, ...

The Mopar Twin 25'S: Take Two!
The Mopar Twin 25's Take Their Place in Motorsports History

CENTER LINE, Mich. - When Performance Racing Industry CEO Steve Lewis set his promotional team to work on a creating a one-of-a-kind racing event last year, he had a vision of an event that would surpass any in midget car racing history. A date in conjunction with the F1 race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a unique Monza style racing format and a $50,000 bonus for the driver who could win both 25-lap features made Lewis' vision a surefire success. What he didn't count on was rejuvenating the excitement of midget car racing to the levels it had seen in years past.

"The initial goal was to create an event that encompassed my dream of what the Mopar Twin 25's should be," Lewis said. "The dream was to do something unique, and from the start of the event we knew we had something special. When Dave [Steele] took the lead in the second 25-lap event, the crowd was on its feet, cheering him on. Watching their reaction, we knew we had succeeded in going from a dream to reality."

With the success of the initial Mopar Twin 25's event under his belt, Lewis quickly set the plans in motion to make the event an annual race, in addition to adding another venue to host a similar program. Irwindale Speedway, located in Irwindale, Calif., was the logical choice. With a similar layout to that of Indianapolis Raceway Park, Irwindale Speedway encompassed the characteristics Lewis wanted to showcase the prestigious event. The inaugural Mopar Twin 25's at Irwindale Speedway followed up its predecessor with the same high reviews, and the second annual Mopar Twin 25's at Indianapolis Raceway Park looks to follow suit.

In addition to establishing the Twin 25's as annual events on the USAC National Midget Car Series schedule, Lewis also sought out a new event sponsor. Ford, who had chosen not to renew their event sponsorship, had sponsored the inaugural Twin 25's event in 2002. Lewis established contact with Kevin Miller, Senior Manager, Brand Excitement and Motorsports & Performance Mopar Parts, and Mopar became the event sponsor for both the 2003 Irwindale Twin 25's and the Indianapolis Raceway Park event.

"When we began to look for a new event sponsor, we looked for one that would get involved with the event," Lewis said. "Mopar has really stepped up their racing program in the last few years, and they've taken a leadership position in the industry. The sponsorship has worked well for both Performance Racing Industry and Mopar."

Defending his title as the Mopar Twin 25's Champion, Team Mopar driver Dave Steele will look to repeat his outstanding feat of winning both 25-lap feature events. When planning the format for the racing action, Lewis wanted to make it possible for a driver to win both feature events and collect the $50,000 bonus. While Steele makes the task look like a Sunday drive, the achievement was not lost on Lewis.

"When we created the format for the Twin 25's, we wanted to make it possible for a driver to win the bonus, as we knew that if doing so was possible, it would make for great racing," Lewis said. "We gave Dave [Steele] the formula, and he took advantage of it. I was very pleased to see him win both features, as well as the $50,000 bonus."

Tickets for the Mopar Twin 25's at Indianapolis Raceway Park, which will be held Sept. 26, 2003, are still available. They can be ordered by calling 1-800-515-8445, or by logging on to www.twin25s.com.

Mopar is based in Center Line, Mich., and is the exclusive original equipment supplier of parts for Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep® vehicles.

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