Powell Corvettes Head for Pheonix, with a Weight Break in Grand AM Cup.

Grand Am rules makers give the Powell Motorsport Corvettes a 75 lb. weight break and add 50 lbs. to the '03 Porsche GT3. Jeff Altenburg will race once again as co-driver for Mike Weinberg in the Rockland Standard Gear Corvette.

Port Perry, Ontario (April 28 2003) — Hopes are high in the Powell camp that the Corvette Z06 can run faster and harder to match the speed of the Porsche GT3's. A redistribution of weight between Corvette (lighter) and Porsche (heavier) should make a difference.

" Our record in the past two years is interesting." Crew Chief Troy Flis said, "Last year the Powell team finished 2nd to the Shane Lewis/Joe Nonnamaker Planet Earth Corvette, and 3rd place Maxwell Doncaster Porsche. But the Porches were faster in both qualifying and the race. Devon Powell qualified the #11 Sunoco Corvette just over a tenth of second behind pole sitter Darren Law's G&W Porsche, and in the race 3 thousandths of a second off Law's fast lap. Mike Weinberg finished ninth in the Rockland Standard Gear Corvette, turning a best lap just two-tenths off the #11 team Corvette.

"The year before, in 2001, Devon qualified 6th, but the Sunoco Corvette broke a timing chain and did not finish the race. John Heinricy's Phoenix American Corvette had pole at very quick 1 minute 5.399 seconds, faster than any of the 2002 times. And of course, the winning Porsche and the 2nd and 3rd placed Zippo Saleen Mustangs had a great day.

"Looking at the record, we evidently had some work to do. We will see the results this week!"

Team Leader John Powell is cautiously optimistic: "We welcome Jeff Altenburg back again in Phoenix to co-drive the Rockland Standard Gear Corvette with Mike Weinberg. A great pairing, the results have gotten progressively better, and Mike in particular has turned in some great driving performances. You can say our hopes are high as we start off in Phoenix with the May to June marathon of 5 races in 8 weeks"

Sponsor enhancement planned in May include new team clothing for the Alabama race, reflecting the influence of associate Sponsor Chemcraft International.

"We really want to support the team, and show our interest in their continued hard work " President Normand Guindon said" We know the team carry all their sponsor logos proudly, so you bet I am happy to assist, providing all the Powell team members with the fine range of apparel we have that is available to all our customers and marketing associates."

The Powell #11 Corvette races with Sunoco Ultra 94 ethanol enhanced gasoline, available throughout Ontario, Canada - the highest octane on the street.

The Powell #02 Corvette races with sponsorship from internationally recognised standard transmission experts Rockland Standard Gear. Rockland is a standard transmission re-manufacturing and wholesale parts distribution business located near New York City, USA.

The #11 Z06 Corvette also races with Chemcraft International Inc. Chemcraft is a North American leader in the supply of unique, high performance and environmental friendly industrial coatings for the wood finishing industry. The Chemcraft Wood Coatings Group are headquartered in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and Port Hope, Ontario with active plants and warehouses across USA and Canada.

Sunoco is a subsidiary of Suncor Energy, a Canadian integrated energy company. In addition to a refinery in Sarnia, Sunoco has a network of more than 300 Sunoco-branded retail and Fleet Fuel cardlock sites and is 50 per cent co-owner of over 200 Pioneer and UPI retail sites. Sunoco manufactures, distributes and markets transportation fuels, heating oils and petrochemicals primarily in Ontario. The company markets natural gas to commercial and residential consumers and offers consumers Suno

Contact:

Rob King
Brand Manager, Sunoco Ultra 94
Suncor Energy Products.
416-733-7020
rking@suncor.com
Sunoco.ca

Bob Maresco,
Rockland Standard Gear Public Relations
1- 800-227-1523
Rsgear@aol.com

John Powell
Powell Motorsport
905 986-2277
e-mail Powell.motorsport@primus.ca
Powellmotorsport.com