DETROIT (November 27, 1996) – Ron Richards, a public relations and communications manager with 15 years of experience in sports and consumer product marketing, has been named to the new position of Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) Vice President of Communications, CART President and CEO Andrew Craig announced today.

Richards, who will join CART in January of 1997, comes to the organization from the Miller Brewing Company where he held manager and director positions over the last seven years. His duties at CART will include the complete management of the organization’s internal and external communications efforts including all media relations and public relations. Specific goals for Richards will be the development and implementation of long-term media strategies with an emphasis on business and lifestyle media. Additionally, CART’s well-established sports press public relations division will now fall under Richards’ direct management.

"We are extremely pleased to have someone with Ron’s vast experience in communications management and media relations join Championship Auto Racing Teams," Craig said. "As the PPG Cup series continues to grow, it is critical that we recruit a team of executives familiar with developing strategies that take our long-term future and goals into account. Ron will be an important part of CART’s management team as we head toward the next century."

At Miller Brewing, Richards most recently held the position of director of employee communications. In that capacity, he had bottom line responsibility for the development of strategies that helped the company communicate with its 6,800 employees. Prior to that appointment, Richards oversaw public relations and communications activities for virtually all Miller brands with a focus on Miller Genuine Draft and Miller High Life. As part of those duties, he managed all sports marketing public relations for the Milwaukee-based brewer, as well as implementing positioning and public relations strategies for several Miller brands.

His first job with Miller was sports marketing public relations manager where he developed programs for the NFL Player of the Year and NBA All-Star Balloting in addition to working on Miller’s various motorsports programs. This included coordination of sponsorships with Team Penske’s NASCAR program with Rusty Wallace and Miller’s PPG Cup teams with drivers Danny Sullivan and Bobby Rahal, in addition to the brand’s presence in the NHRA and IMSA.

"CART is the leader in open-wheel racing in North America and is focused on taking its unique style of racing to key markets through out the world," Richard said. "The opportunity to work with Andrew Craig, his staff and all the people involved with PPG Cup racing is something truly exciting."

Richards also brings additional experience within the motorsports industry to CART. In the 1980s, he worked with the Sports Car Club of America as both the director of marketing and public relations manager, and served as the motorsports public relations manager for Coors-sponsored racing programs.

The appointment of Richards is the first of several new executive hirings CART is expected to finalize by the new year. Additional announcements will be made in the coming weeks.

CART next returns to the race track for Spring Training at the Metro-Dade Homestead Motorsports Complex, January 30 - February 1 in Homestead, Fla. The 17-race PPG Cup season in turn kicks-off at the same venue one month later with the Marlboro Grand Prix of Miami, March 2.