ROCKETSPORTS RACING TO RUN ANTONIO PIZZONIA IN LONG BEACH FOR CHAMP CAR SEASON OPENER

Courtesy Heather Haupt

EAST LANSING, Mich. (March 29, 2006) After a long off-season with all efforts predominately on securing a solid sponsorship package and competitive driver line-up, Rocketsports Racing is proud to announce that Antonio Pizzonia has been signed to drive the #8 Rocketsports Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone Champ Car in Long Beach with sponsorship announcements to be forthcoming.

The overall performance of Rocketsports Racing throughout the 2005 season led to Timo Glock s consistency and running for Rookie-of-the-Year honors. Rocketsports has chosen to run another rookie, but rookie is no way to describe this young, vibrant Brazilian. Pizzonia is a well-experienced open-wheel racer. He has a solid racing pedigree that has brought him to the ranks of Formula 1. The 25-year-old joins Rocketsports with great anticipation to extend his racing resume by entering the Champ Car World Series in search for a new challenge in his extensive career.

Pizzonia will rendezvous with the team in Houston on Saturday, April 1 for some more time in his Lola in preparation to make his first Champ Car start in Long Beach, California for the Champ Car season opener, April 7-9.

I am very happy about the opportunity that Rocketsports has given to me, said Pizzonia on his upcoming test and making his debut in Champ Car. The test this weekend will be very important for me and the team as we prepare for the first race. I obviously need to get more familiar with the car, as it was my first time in the cockpit of a Champ Car when I tested with the team in Houston a couple of weeks ago. So the extra time will be good for me to learn more and really prepare for Long Beach. I am really looking forward to Long Beach; it will be a new experience for me, a new ride, and a new challenge. That is what I was looking for and I am thrilled to be with the Rocketsports team. I really enjoyed working with them in Houston when I tested with them, so I am looking forward to working with them again.

Pizzonia started racing karts when he was 10 and after winning the local championships he began to commute to Sao Paulo on the weekends to race in more competitive Sao Paulo championships. By the time he was 15, he had won the Brazilian national title. This led to the decision to go to the United States to compete in the Barber Dodge series and then in 1997 he moved to Britain.