REDMOND, Ore. - Parker Johnstone announced that he will leave the Honda-powered Motorola Brix/Comptech Indy Car team, effective immediately. At this time, Johnstone has no immediate plans for the future.

"This has been one of the most difficult decisions of my life," said Johnstone, who began his association with the Comptech Racing team co-owners Doug Peterson and Don Erb, Jr. in 1986, taking the factory-prepared Honda CRX to that year' s SCCA GT-4 national championship. "It's tough to walk away from a 11-year friendship and racing association, and I feel a great sense of regret. Over the years, we've put together an impressive list of accomplishments, but sometimes, even the best of friends must seek different paths."

Following the amateur championship, Johnstone and Comptech became a key ingredient in the introduction of Honda's Acura Division in the United States. Johnstone's two IMSA International Sedan championships in the Comptech-prepared Acura (1987-1988) established a solid reputation for both speed and reliability for the new nameplate. Building on these successes, Johnstone and Comptech went on to dominate the IMSA Camel Lights championship for prototype sports-racing cars from 1991 to 1993. During these years, in addition to his championship three-peat in the Comptech Acura NSX/Spice, Johnstone set the record for the highest three year winning percentage in auto racing history (57.89%) and swept every pole position in the 1992 season, the only time this feat has been done in any major racing series.

In 1995, Johnstone logged over 6,000 test miles as the official test driver for Honda's IndyCar development program and brought the Japanese manufacturer their first-ever IndyCar pole position in his oval track debut at Michigan International Speedway. Johnstone made history again last year when his second-place finish at Long Beach completed Honda's first PPG Indy Car World Series one-two sweep.

"I want to express my sincerest appreciation to Motorola," Johnstone added. "A driver simply couldn't have a better sponsor. Along with Dough Peterson, Don Erb, Harry Brix and the entire Brix/Comptech Racing team, Motorola helped my tremendously in establishing myself in the Indy Car arena. Their professionalism and integrity made my decision just that much more difficult."