DETROIT (Nov. 5, 1996) – Bettenhausen Motorsports announced Tuesday that Patrick Carpentier, the reigning Toyota/Player’s Atlantic champion, has been signed as the team’s driver for the 1997 and ’98 PPG Indy Car World Series seasons.

Carpentier replaces Stefan Johansson, who departed after the past five seasons with Bettenhausen, and will pilot the Alumax Aluminum Reynard Mercedes for owner Tony Bettenhausen. He will become only the third driver to compete for Bettenhausen, who joined the PPG Indy Car World Series as an team owner in 1986. Bettenhausen himself was the team’s driver from 1986-93 and Johansson came aboard as a rookie in 1992.

Carpentier, a 25-year-old Canadian, is coming off a dominant championship season in the Toyota/Player’s Atlantic Series. He won nine of 12 races, including a string of eight in a row from the pole to close out the season. His nine wins tied a series record, and his eight in a row from the pole set a series standard. He also established series single-season records for most points (239) and prize money ($226,500).

In addition to his stellar Toyota/Player’s Atlantic season, Carpentier impressed Bettenhausen Motorsports officials during a test session among four international drivers vying for the open seat two weeks ago in Sebring, Florida.

Carpentier is scheduled to make his IndyCar debut March 2 in the season-opening Marlboro Grand Prix of Miami, presented by Toyota, at the Metro-Dade Homestead Motorsports Complex in Homestead, Fla.