RacingLine. IndyCar SEASON PREVIEW

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1 THE NEWSLETTER OF Honda INDYCAR RACING VOL.11 NO. 1 RacingLine IndyCar SEASON PREVIEW Honda's assault on the 2004 IRL Indy Car Series championship will be led by a four-man team that gets up to speed as easily as it gets along. Andretti Green Racing boasts a combination of experience, enthusiasm and good chemistry as Tony Kanaan, Dario Franchitti, Bryan Herta and Dan Wheldon give Honda Performance Development one of the strongest efforts in the IndyCar series. Kanaan, who won Honda's second start at Phoenix, parlayed pace and consistency into the point lead for most of 2003 before being eliminated from the title chase in the season finale and winding up fourth in the standings. Franchitti, who missed all but three races last year due to a back injury from a freak motorcycle accident, returns with a clean bill of health and a new sense of purpose as he begins his seventh season with his current team. Herta got the call from Michael Andretti to replace Franchitti in late June and immediately put his good friend's team in victory lane at Kansas City in only his second IRL start. Wheldon put together five top-five finishes, including his first podium (third in the Texas finale), to take Rookie of the Year honors and earn another tour of duty with AGR. "It's a great group of guys and we've got four good shots at winning any race," said Kanaan, the personable Brazilian who was married one evening last autumn and racing go-karts the next day. "This team has a lot of talent and a lot of expectations. "I'm really glad Dario is back because we're great friends and he's really good at setting up the car." Added Franchitti: "This is more like a family than a team and nobody has any secrets... we all work together." Team Rahal is back for its second run through the IRL as Buddy Rice has assumed Kenny Brack's seat while the 1999 Indy winner recovers from serious injuries sustained in the '03 finale. "Nobody ever wants to get a ride over somebody else's misfortune but I intend to make the most of this situation and get some good results while Kenny is healing," said Rice, the 2000 Formula Atlantic champion who nearly won his IRL debut in 2002 and ran 13 races for Team Cheever last year. Brack suffered a broken back, sternum, right leg and fractured both ankles in a ghastly accident at Texas but the veteran from Sweden is back home in Columbus, Ohio doing six hours of therapy a day. "I don't want to come back until I know I'm ready but I definitely want to race again," said the 1998 IRL champion. Greg Ray returns as the IRL's lone owner/driver with Access Motorsports and the 1999 IRL champion's 2003 highlight was running strong all day at Indy for an eighth-place finish on the lead lap. Rookie Kosuke Matsuura moves into the Super Aguri Fernandez ride previously driven by Roger Yasukawa after coming off some impressive runs in the German Formula 3 and Formula Renault V6 series. Yasukawa has a 2003 deal to run Motegi and Indy with Team Rahal. "With all four of our teams returning, an expanded seven-driver lineup, and a year s experience in the IndyCar Series, 2004 is shaping up to be an exciting year for Honda in the IRL," said Robert Clarke, Vice- President and General Manager of Honda Performance Development. "We re looking forward to the start of the season at Homestead-Miami Speedway, February 29."

2 Honda Indy Car Driver Capsules KENNY BRACK Nationality: Swedish Born: March 21, 1966 Team: Team Rahal Career highlights: 1999 Indy 500 winner and 1998 IRL champion. Four wins in 45 starts. Also scored five victories in CART from Best finish in 03 was second at Motegi, Japan. KOSUKE MATSUURA Nationality: Japanese Born: September 4, 1979 Team: Super Aguri Fernandez Racing Career highlights: IndyCar Rookie owns experience in the Japan Formula Dream series where he won the 2000 championship as well as the German Formula 3 and Formula Renault V6 series. Runnerup in the 2002 Formula 3 series; third last year in Formula Renault V6. DARIO FRANCHITTI Nationality: Scottish Born: May 19, 1973 Career highlights: Runner-up in 1999 CART championship after losing tie-breaker for title to Juan Montoya. Earned 10 wins in CART from Made three IRL starts in 2003 before season-ending back surgery. GREG RAY Nationality: American Born: Aug. 3, 1966 Team: Access Motorsports Career highlights: Captured 1999 IRL championship with three wins and four poles. Owns IRL record 13 pole positions. Has five wins in 67 Indy-car starts. Didn t begin racing until he was 25 years old. BRYAN HERTA Nationality: American Born: May 23, 1970 Career highlights: Drove to victory at Kansas City last year in only third IRL start and tacked on three more podiums to wind up 13th in points despite only competing in 11 of 16 races. Also won twice in nine-year CART career. BUDDY RICE Nationality: American Born: Jan. 31, 1976 Team: Rahal Career highlights: Started and finished second in IRL debut at Michigan in Also ran fourth at Gateway that year. Earned the 2000 Toyota Atlantic championship with five victories. Made 13 IRL starts in TONY KANAAN Nationality: Brazilian Born: Dec. 31, 1974 Career highlights: Led IRL standings for most of 2003 before finishing fourth in points. Captured Honda s initial IRL race victory at Phoenix in only third start and also had a trio of seconds and three poles. Also had one win in CART. DAN WHELDON Nationality: British Born: June 22, 1978 Career highlights: Finished 2003 IRL season with two fourths and first podium (third at Texas finale), boosting him to IRL s Rookie of the Year Award. Captured 1999 U.S. F2000 championship. Runner-up in 2000 Toyota Atlantic and 2001 Indy Lights Championships.

3 Brack Working Hard For Return To Cockpit He's got a healthy baby daughter, a wonderful wife and that same positive attitude he's always displayed. Less than five months after his devastating accident in the season finale at Texas, Kenny Brack is on the mend and working hard to regain his racing form. "I'm feeling better and stronger every day," says the 37-year-old Swede from his home in Columbus, Ohio. "I've got quite a routine going. I work out for three hours each morning doing legs, chest, shoulder and arms. "Then I break for lunch and come back and ride a bike for an hour. It's full speed ahead and very soon I'm going to be able to walk without crutches." Brack suffered a broken back, sternum, right leg and fractures of both ankles as he battled for third place late in the race last September. He doesn't remember anything about the accident but realizes it could have been worse. "I have seen a lot of still pictures from it, but I still haven t seen the video because I don t have it," said the 1998 IRL champion. "I know it was bad and I know I was fortunate. I think somebody was looking out for me. "It s not something that bothers me or that I worry about because I already know the outcome. And it's been painful at times but I'm going to make a complete recovery." Blood clots, water on the lungs and problems with his gall bladder stymied Brack's healing process and he lost a lot of weight during his ordeal. "People that haven't been in a situation like this would be amazed to see how fast muscles deteriorate and how fast the body deteriorates when you re lying in a bed for like six, seven weeks," he continued. "So, part of the rehab is stretching. Part of the rehab is weight training. Part of the rehab is fitness training, like water therapy and stuff like that. "But my appetite is back, I'm gaining weight and getting some muscle tone back." Wife Anita, who gave birth to daughter Karma on New Year's Eve, was strong and supportive during his two months in the hospital despite being pregnant. "Anita was fabulous. By my side every minute and I know it was tough on her but she's a strong lady," he continued. "It s exciting, you know, with this new little thing that s arrived to this world. It s something that's fantastic. "Karma is beautiful but right now, you know, she sleeps and eats and doesn't do too many bad things around the house." The 1999 Indianapolis 500 winner will be replaced by Buddy Rice until he's ready to get back in the cockpit. "You know, I've never been in this position before so I can't say if it's going to be three months or 12 months. My injuries are serious, but they will heal, and it will take somewhere between five to six months from the accident date. "I've got to wait until my bones are completely healed and I feel completely, a hundred percent, healed back up. I mean, it s no point kidding yourself or anybody else getting in a car when you re not healed up or feel 100 percent for it. You kid yourself, you might have another bad wreck or you re not going to do the team any good." Brack claims he's got no second thoughts about racing again. "I don t think I have doubts in my mind I can do it again. It s something that I ve always done. Yeah, I ve always known that it has risks and stuff can happen at times, but I love racing. "This is what I ve been doing successfully in the past, and that s what I want to do successfully for a while longer, really. I still think that I m very competitive on the track and I want to get back as soon as possible." Book Details Honda's CART Accomplishments Since 1995, David Bull has published some of the best looking and most interesting motorsports books in the world. In his considered opinion, Honda s historical perspective of its roller-coaster ride in CART as pleasing to read as it is to the eye. "What I love about it is that it doesn t pull any punches editorially," said Bull of A Winning Adventure: Honda s Decade In CART Racing. "It doesn t read like a promotional piece because Gordon [Kirby] and John [Oreovicz] told the real story of how Honda struggled mightily and then redoubled its efforts to win six straight drivers championships. "People are candid in this book and it s hardhitting and engaging. It s a real page-turner." From Honda s shaky debut in 1994 to its total domination of the Champ Car series, the

4 Dario s Back Is Healthy, So Dario s Back Dario Franchitti says the worst moment of 2003 wasn't the pain from his compressed vertebra, the therapy process or the back brace he had to wear for the better part of three months. It was the pace lap of the Indianapolis 500. "The most difficult thing was watching the cars roll off for the start of the 500 with my car on the front row," he grimaced. "That was pretty tough." Because of a broken back, suffered in a motorcycle accident last April, and the subsequent surgery, Franchitti missed 13 of 16 races -- including Indy, where Robby Gordon took his place at Andretti Green Racing. That's why the 30-year-old Scotsman can't wait for 2004 to get started. "This will be my seventh year with this team and we've got all the right equipment, the backing from Honda, the engineering staff and everything we need to win races and challenge for the championship," said Franchitti, who came to America in 1997 and was signed by Barry Green in "Your desire is always to win races and championships but in the IRL you've got the added extra of Indianapolis." In January's open test at Homestead, Fla., Franchitti didn't require many laps to get up to speed and turned the fifth-fastest lap of the two days in his ArcaEx Dallara/Honda. "It felt so good to be back. It was really nice being in the car, just driving again," he observed. "The ArcaEx car was very good these past couple of days. We've got a little bit of work to do yet before the race, but we're certainly going in the right direction. "All of our [Andretti Green] guys [including Tony Kanaan, Dan Wheldon and Bryan Herta] seemed to be pretty quick. It's hard to really tell what everybody's got until you're qualifying or in the race. But, I think we're pretty happy with where we are. It just shows the kind of preparation that the Andretti Green team put in at the end of last season and also through the winter." Franchitti's preparation required more down time than he's ever experienced. "I didn't think my injury was that big a deal and I figured I might miss one race at the most," he continued. "But after Dr. [Terry] Trammell looked at my X-rays, he told me I'd be out for at least 10 weeks and that was a shock. "It was pretty devastating to miss Indianapolis." Following some stringent physiotherapy, Franchitti made his return at Pikes Peak, where he qualified seventh and finished fourth in a 225-mile grind that left him a little sore but real satisfied. "It was important for me to go out there and be competitive," he recalled. But another visit to Dr. Trammell proved to be the end of the season. "He said I could drive the car, no problem, but it was pretty risky because if I had another crash it could be a pretty nasty situation," said Franchitti. "So we decided not to take any more chances and to have the operation. "And having already come back and been racing at the front certainly made it easier to make the decision to go into the hospital." His recovery period made it possible to spend more time with wife Ashley and catch up with old friends like Kanaan, Jimmy Vasser and Alex Zanardi. "It was good fun because I got to go to Oulton Park for the Formula Renault race, the DTM finale at Hockenheim and Tony's wedding, where they held a go-kart race the next day and saw Jimmy and Alex. "I love to watch racing, regardless of what kind it is. It's the next best thing to being in the car. But I've done enough watching lately. I can't wait to get this season started." coffee table-sized A Winning Adventure spans 300 pages of excellent pictures, personalities, races and the refuse-to-lose attitude of Honda Performance Development. "It was nice to work with a company that shares that sense of quality. That was always paramount to Honda and it shows." To help launch A Winning Adventure, American Honda will host a book-signing with co-authors Gordon Kirby and John Oreovicz on Tuesday, February 24 during the lunch hour in the Building 100 cafeteria. During the signing, American Honda associates will have the opportunity to purchase A Winning Adventure, which retails for $39.95, for $20 (half-price). Complimentary copies of A Winning Adventure will also be sent to all Honda and Acura dealers and other key Honda subsidiaries.

5 Rules Will Require Use Of Two Engines During 2004 Season As Honda Performance Development gears up for its second season in the Indy Racing League, Vice President and General Manager Robert Clarke will face a unique set of challenges because 2004 promises to be a particularly busy year. The new HI4R 3.5-liter engine debuts in late February at Homestead, Fla. and makes its swan song in mid-april at Motegi, Japan, because it will be replaced by a new motor in May. In the interest of safety and slowing down the cars, Indy Racing League officials are dropping the engines to three liters displacement beginning in May. "Yes, we re going to be plenty busy," acknowledges Clarke. "We re going to have to pursue both projects at the same time. "It s interesting because our final race with the 3.5-liter engine will be Motegi and, from Honda's viewpoint, that s just as important as Indianapolis." Honda's inaugural IRL campaign in '03 with the HI3R saw Tony Kanaan contest for the championship right up to the final race. "We started off strong, winning the pole at Homestead and then Tony taking the second race at Phoenix. I think it surprised the competition how we hit the track," continued Clarke, who's been with HPD every step of the way since Honda went open-wheel racing in "We lost some momentum in the middle of the season when we had some reliability issues and our competition gained on us. But we overcame those issues and by Texas we were showing our strength again. "We finished the season feeling pretty good about the whole thing." Kanaan led the point standings for much of the season with his consistency (eight finishes in the top five to go with his victory at Phoenix) before being crashed in the finale and winding up fourth. The Andretti Green racing armada of Dario Franchitti, Dan Wheldon, Bryan Herta and Kanaan will lead the Honda assault in '04 along with Team Rahal's Buddy Rice (filling in for the recovering Kenny Brack), Super Aguri Fernandez rookie Kosuke Matsuura, and Access Motorsports owner/driver Greg Ray. As for changes in the 3.5-liter engine for those first three 04 races, Clarke replies: "It can t be drastically different. The block and heads are carryover items and mainly the induction area is the most open for further development -- injection, throttle and airboxes. "We ve also been working the electronics hot and heavy, because it s an area we were weak on in We ve done some good work and there is more to come." HPD Prepares for Move into New Home Honda Performance Development's new home in Santa Clarita will be bigger, better and illustrate just how committed the company is toward American open-wheel racing. "It s going to be exciting for us because it makes it clear in what direction HPD is moving," said HPD Vice President and General Manager Robert Clarke. "We re going from an engine support company to true R&D facility. We re going from two [dynamometers] to a facility capable of housing eight dynos, and we'll be operational with four of them by mid-year. "We ve been increasing our staff, buying equipment and it s a very big project. We hope to have it totally occupied by the end of November." Clarke said Honda's partnership with Ilmor Engineering will continue through 2006 but HPD is structuring itself to become totally self-sufficient. "Our CART engines were designed and produced in Japan and we were a rebuild and support company. Until HPD was charged with establishing itself as a racing engine R&D center, the capacity to design engines never existed in this country and now we ll produce manufacture in-house or source through suppliers everything ourselves. "This is huge for HPD and Honda."

6 2004 IRL IndyCar Series Schedule February 29 Homestead-Miami Speedway Homestead, FL 1.5 mile oval ESPN March 21 Phoenix International Raceway Phoenix, AZ 1.0 mile oval ABC April 17 Twin Ring Motegi Motegi. Japan 1.5 mile oval ESPN-2 May 30 Indianapolis Motor Speedway Indianapolis, IN 2.5 mile oval ABC June 12 * Texas Motor Speedway Ft. Worth, TX 1.5 mile oval ESPN June 26 * Richmond Intl. Raceway Richmond, VA 0.75 mile oval ESPN-2 July 4 Kansas Speedway Kansas City, KS 1.5 mile oval ABC July 17 * Nashville Superspeedway Nashville, TN 1.0 mile oval ESPN July 25 Milwaukee Mile West Allis, WI 1.0 mile oval ABC August 1 Michigan International Speedway Brooklyn, MI 2.0 mile oval ABC August 15 Kentucky Speedway Carrollton, KY 1.25 mile oval August 22 Pikes Peak Intl. Raceway Colorado Springs, CO 1.0 mile oval ABC August 29 Nazareth Speedway Nazareth, PA 0.9 mile oval ABC September 12 Chicagoland Speedway Joliet, IL 1.5 mile oval ABC October 3 California Speedway Fontana, CA 2.0 mile oval ESPN October 17 Texas Motor Speedway Ft. Worth, TX 1.5 mile oval ABC *Saturday night race Racing Line We welcome your comments, questions and suggestions. Send them to: Editor, Honda Racing Line American Honda Motor Co., Inc. Mail Stop 100-3C-2A Torrance, CA Button, Sato Lead F-1 Effort Sure, Michael Schumacher, Ferrari and their $300 million budget reigned again in Formula One last year after McLaren and Williams faltered down the stretch. But one of the most uplifting stories of 2003 was Jenson Button and the BAR Honda team. Button, the 23-year-old Brit paired with former world champion Jacques Villeneuve, showed his grit and wound up ninth in the driver s standings whipping his teammate at every turn and in the points, 17-6 with a best finish of fourth. Despite the BAR reliability problems, Button also managed to lead at Italy and Indy in 03 and received a rave review from F1 Racing magazine: "Jenson drives right at the extremity of his car, pushing it to the edge in terms of late braking, engine revs and steering angle. He does so with skill and commitment, producing enough speed to establish himself as a potential winner." Button s pre-season testing with the new V10 Honda has been promising and, if BAR can get a handle on the chassis, the English could have a lot to cheer about in Button's teammate for '04 will be Japan's Takuma Sato, who was rewarded for his solid performance as a test driver for BAR and finished sixth in the '03 finale at Japan after taking over for Villeneuve. Villeneuve is down the road and it s now left to Jenson and Sato to raise the BAR. The seventeen race formula one season starts March 7 in Aulburn, Australia. Dealer Display Unit Available for Bookings The 2004 Racing Season is upon us, and Honda is once again proud to be an engine supplier to many of the top teams competing in the highly competitive IndyCar series of the Indy Racing League (IRL). As a way for Honda and Acura dealers to tie in with Honda s IRL racing program for 2004, Honda is pleased to provide dealers with the opportunity to host the new Honda Indy Racing Dealer Display. The unique display is designed as a turnkey mobile operation that is self-sufficient and is integrated into a customized racing trailer. The exhibit features the IndyCar of Honda driver Tony Kanaan, along with many other interactive activities. Customers visiting the display at the dealership are invited to try on Kanaan s driving suit and receive a complimentary photograph standing alongside his IndyCar. Other exhibit highlights include: Photographs and graphics of the 2004 Honda Racing Team drivers and cars, a hands-on interactive racing game, Honda Racing video presentation and a 2004 IRL IndyCar Series standings board. Reservations are now being accepted for the 2004 Honda Indy Racing Dealer Display. Dealers are encouraged to make their reservations early as the display is consistently booked throughout the year. The Honda Indy Racing Dealer Display has proven to be an effective way for dealerships to generate showroom traffic, increase sales, build motorsports awareness and promote community good will. Several dealers have utilized the display repeatedly each year with outstanding results. Mac Delaup, President and Managing Partner of John Eagle Honda in Houston, Texas says, "We have hosted the Honda Indy Racing Display at our dealership six times in the past several years with excellent results. The display definitely generates awareness for our dealership, helps drive additional customer traffic to our showroom and generates enthusiasm amongst our sales professionals." The display is packaged as a three-day engagement for $2,500. The total cost will be invoiced directly to the dealership upon conclusion of the event. Every participating Honda/Acura dealer is provided with internet access to specially created digital artwork and advertising materials to promote their event at: To receive a promotional package or to reserve your booking contact Larry Rusznak at Brand Promotions at , ext. 14.