SALINAS, Calif. - Ralphs/Food 4 Less and John Della Penna announced his Campbell based team will run in the 1997 Indy Car World Series. Della Penna will field a racing entry for the fourth consecutive year for Los Angeles based Ralphs/Food 4 Less Corporation. This will be the second year of Indy Car competition for this up and coming team and American driver Richie Hearn of Canyon Country, Calif.

During the 1996 season, the team competed in both the PPG IndyCar World Series and the Indy Racing League (IRL). However, in 1997 Della Penna will campaign only in IndyCar sanctioned events. Della Penna has made it clear it was a sponsorship decision to run in IndyCar in 1997.

"I started my driver development program with Richie and Ralphs/Food 4 Less three years ago this month," said Della Penna. "The plan was to run two years in Atlantics, win the Championship and then run a partial schedule of IndyCar races the third year including the Indy 500. The IndyCar schedules have many key markets that are important to our sponsors. The Indy 500 was a key ingredient for our 1996 season. We were forced to participate in both IndyCar and IRL this year. Now we are entering our fourth year and I feel Richie and the team is ready to compete in a full season in the IndyCar World Series. We come from a road racing background. We really enjoy competing on the ovals, however we do not see ourselves participating in a series that does not offer both. I feel the experience we acquired in the IRL this year was invaluable to us especially at Indianapolis. Our plan all along was to do road racing in the IndyCar Series. We found running in two different series has diluted our effort this year. In 1997 we want to make a 100 percent commitment to IndyCar and focus our efforts on that. I contemplated doing both the 1997 Indy 500 and the IndyCar Series. However, I feel our sponsors and our effort would be served if we concentrate on one thing. With the difference in the nature of the 1997 cars and rule packages between IndyCar and IRL it is practically impossible to do both."

In 1996 the team has had a respectable first year moving into IndyCar and IRL competition after winning the 1995 Player's Ltd./Toyota Atlantic Championship and 1994 Rookie of the Year honors. The team finished tenth at Long Beach with 2000 Ralphs/Food 4 Less employees and VIP's on hand to witness their IndyCar debut. In IRL competition Della Penn Motorsports team showed great promise qualifying on the front row in three out of four of the 1996 events and finishing third in the Indianapolis 500. These accomplishments are not surprising considering the other talented drivers Della Penna has confirmed that Hearn is under contract for the next four years.

"I think that Richie has actually surpassed all of our goals in our three-year plan and is more than ready to take on the next challenge. We always have had a great working relationship and that will continue," said Della Penna.