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©2000 SpeedCenter Publishing RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, CA (February 1, 2000) - Cristiano da Matta is set to return to CART FedEx Championship Series competition with PPI Motorsports (formerly racing under the Arciero-Wells banner) in a brand new ride: the #97 Pioneer Electronics/MCI WorldCom Toyota-Reynard. Da Matta is joined by new teammate Oriol Servia, driving the #96 Telefonica Toyota-Reynard, in PPI Motorsports' (PPIM) two-car program. Da Matta, 25, of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, enters his second year of CART competition after a successful rookie effort with PPI Motorsports. After qualifying sixth in his series debut in Miami, a then-record for the Toyota CART engine program, da Matta scored the engine manufacturer's best finish in history with a fourth-place effort in Nazareth. Da Matta ran in the top ten in 13 events, posting three top-ten finishes and five top-ten qualifying efforts to earn one of the best overall seasons in PPIM and Toyota history. "I'm very excited about starting the new season in the Pioneer Electronics/MCI WorldCom Champ Car," said da Matta. "We've tested the 2000 Reynard and the new Toyota engine over the winter, and we have been very happy with the results. I think we'll be able to accomplish even more than last year, especially since now I have a whole season of CART competition behind me. The car and the team are both really strong, and we're looking to set some new records." Pioneer Corporation, a leader in consumer electronics and commercial video products, also debuted on the CART circuit last season as primary sponsor of Scott Pruett's #24 Pioneer Electronics/MCI WorldCom Toyota-Reynard. Da Matta will introduce his new livery at CART Spring Training in Miami, Feb. 8-10. "We are very eager to start the second season of our sponsorship," comments Takafumi Asano, president of Pioneer Electronics. "Cristiano had a great season last year, and we are looking forward to him representing Pioneer Electronics on the track, to our customers and hopefully on the podium!" Pioneer Corporation is recognized around the world for its position at the forefront of optical disc technology, car electronics and consumer entertainment. With more than 20,000 employees worldwide and over $6.0 billion in yearly sales worldwide, Pioneer operates facilities in Japan, Europe, the United States, Canada and Mexico. Joining Pioneer Electronics as a major associate sponsor on the #97 Pioneer Electronics/MCI WorldCom Toyota-Reynard is global telecommunications company and longtime PPIM partner MCI WorldCom. MCI WorldCom has divided its former primary sponsorship of the #25 PPIM machine across the team's two Champ Cars and is now featured as an associate sponsor on both the Pioneer Electronics/MCI WorldCom Toyota-Reynard and the Telefonica Toyota-Reynard. PPI Motorsports (PPIM), founded as Precision Preparation, Inc. (PPI) in 1979, is a multi-dimensional racing company with competitive interests in the CART FedEx Championship Series, the CART Toyota Atlantic Series, the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, the NASCAR Busch Series and the SCORE International Off-Road Series. For more information about PPIM and all its teams, please visit the new PPI Motorsports website at www.ppi-racing.com
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