CHAMPCAR/CART: Lola makes history as Brack scores its 100th win

Lola Cars International Ltd has become the first chassis manufacturer in CART FedEx Championship Series history to win 100 CART races.

Fresh from his first career FedEx Championship Series victory in Japan two weeks ago, Team Rahal's Kenny Brack made it two in a row and had the honour of recording Lola's 100th CART win at the legendary Milwaukee Mile on Sunday.

En route to his victory on the 1.032-mile oval the 35-year-old Swede averaged 122.066 miles per hour and led a race-high 130 laps from pole. Last season's Rookie of the Year took the lead for good from Michael Andretti (Motorola Reynard-Honda) on lap 183 of the 225-lap race. Brack went on to record a 1.307-second victory over Andretti and became the first multiple winner of the 2001 season. Fellow Lola racer Bruno Junqueira (Target/Chip Ganassi) finished a career-best fourth in his fifth CART start.

Brack collected 21 points for the victory and leading the most race laps, adding substantially to his Championship lead. His four closest pursuers all experienced early exits as a result of contact. With 70 points Brack now leads Castroneves (Penske Reynard-Honda) by 23 points. Underlining the company's dominant form, a Lola driver has led the 2001 championship from the outset.

Lola finished the 2000 CART series on a high with Christian Fittipaldi's victory in California -- one of seven victories for Lola in 2000 -- and started the 2001 season in dominant style with Cristiano da Matta's win in Mexico. Statistically 2000 was Lola's most successful year in Champ car racing since it won the World Championship title with Nigel Mansell and Newman/Haas Racing in 1993. The 1992 Formula One World Champion famously made the transition from Formula One to Indy car racing and became the only reigning Formula One World Champion to also hold the PPG Cup Champion title.

Mario Andretti gave Lola its 1st win in 1983 at Elkhart Lake in a Cosworth powered Newman/Haas and went on to win the World Championship in 1984. In 1991 his son Michael Andretti notched up Lola's 50th victory and won the World Championship, again with Newman/Haas. The Illinois based team has a great history with Lola, reinforced by the fact that it has scored an unrivalled 55 of Lola's 100 CART victories.

Not surprisingly 76 of Lola's impressive catalogue of CART wins were recorded by drivers from the United States. Over half of those were taken by a member of the Andretti family; 28 were scored by Michael, 18 by Mario and one by John. The remaining 29 victories were taken by US drivers Al Unser Jr (13), Bobby Rahal (10), Danny Sullivan (4), Jimmy Vasser (1) and Scott Pruett (1). 24 wins from Brazilian, English, Canadian, Dutch, Colombian, Mexican and Swedish drivers brings Lola's tally to 100.

Teams powered by Ford Cosworth and Chevrolet have between them delivered 92 of Lola's CART victories. The remaining eight were taken by Toyota (5) and Honda (3).

Lola has a proud heritage in the CART FedEx Championship Series including six World Championship wins with Nigel Mansell (1993), Bobby Rahal (1992 & 1987), Michael Andretti (1991), Al Unser Jr (1990) and Mario Andretti (1984).

"I feel very honoured to have helped Lola reach this impressive goal," said the victorious Kenny Brack. "The Lola car has been a great car in the past and this year already I see the Lola being the premier car for the CART championship. I just hope I can bring another championship to Lola this year with our Shell Ford Lola."

"I'm extremely pleased to be a part of Lola's 100th CART win," commented team owner and three times CART series Champion Bobby Rahal. "Lola Cars has been a major part of my racing career. I drove a Lola T-290 sports car to my first SCCA national championship in 1974 and one of my first Formula Atlantic cars was a Lola T-360. I won my last two CART series championships in 1987 and 1992 in Lola champ cars. So it is fitting that we can bring Lola its 100th victory this year. It is exciting to give Lola this landmark achievement with Team Rahal. Lola Cars has accomplished a tremendous feat in our sport and the Lola staff should be commended for its continued success."

"This is a great day for Lola," enthused Daniel Partel, President of Lola Cars International Inc. "I'd like to congratulate everyone involved, particularly Kenny Brack and Team Rahal. It's very fitting that Kenny scored Lola's 100th CART win, as he's been on such excellent form all season."

"I'm absolutely thrilled," said David Bowes, Managing Director of Lola Cars International Ltd. "Everyone at Lola has worked incredibly hard for this and we will of course continue to challenge for the coveted Constructors' title this year."

"100 CART race wins is a fantastic achievement for Lola Cars International. I'd like to congratulate everyone involved, " said Martin Birrane, Chief Executive of Lola Cars International Ltd.

The 2001 CART series now takes a break from ovals and heads to the temporary street course in Michigan for the Grand Prix of Detroit on 17th June.

Please visit www.lola-motorsport.com to view the information sheet with full details of Lola's previous 99 CART race wins from 1979-2001.

Full statistics of Lola's 100 CART wins broken down into Engine manufacturers, Teams, Drivers and Driver Nationalities can be found below. <pre> Engine manufacturers: 1. Ford-Cosworth 48 2. Chevrolet 44 3. Toyota 5 4. Honda 3

Teams: 1. Newman/Haas 55 2. Galles-Kraco Racing 9 3. Domino's/Team Shierson 7 4. Rahal Hogan 4 5. Target/Chip Ganassi 4 6. Galles Racing 3 7. Patrick Racing 3 8. Tasman Motorsports 3 9. TrueSports 3 10. Kraco Racing 2 11. Vince Granatelli Racing 2 12. Team Rahal 2 13. Jim Hall Racing 1 14. Budweiser King Racing 1 15. Walker Racing 1

Drivers: 1. Michael Andretti 28 2. Mario Andretti 18 3. Al Unser Jr 13 4. Bobby Rahal 10 5. Nigel Mansell 5 6. Danny Sullivan 4 7. Arie Luyendyk 3 8. Emerson Fittipaldi 2 9. Scott Goodyear 2 10. Juan Pablo Montoya 2 11. Andre Ribeiro 2 12. Paul Tracy 2 13. Kenny Brack 2 14. John Andretti 1 15. Cristiano Da Matta 1 16. Adrian Fernandez 1 17. Christian Fittipaldi 1 18. Scott Pruett 1 19. Jimmy Vasser 1

Driver Nationalities: 1. USA 76 2. Brazil 6 3. England 5 4. Canada 4 5. Netherlands 3 6. Colombia 3 7. Sweden 2 8. Mexico 1

-Lola-